Breaking NewsSponsored by The Sullivan Auto Group
Subscribe: Home Delivery Special!
Teens exposed to technical careers at Auburn academy
By Darrell Smith - dvsmith@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, February 28, 2008
Story appeared in BUSINESS section, Page D1
Sabrina Chavez, 15, left, and Ashley Kite, 16, of Auburn's Alder Grove Academy place threads while building catapults Wednesday at the academy as they explore technology careers in the Tech-Explorer project of Sierra College's Center for Applied Competitive Technologies. Randy Pench / rpench@sacbee.com
Auburn's Alder Grove Academy and Sierra College are exposing teenagers to careers in designing, fabricating and repairing the technical systems that run such modern-day electronic necessities as automated teller machines, gas pumps and hybrid cars.
With a two-year degree, students can get paid as much as $45,000 a year. Other careers require less time in school but pay as much as $33,000.
The nation as a whole will see the number of jobs requiring science, engineering or technical training grow by more than 24 percent by 2014.
Programs such as this one are desperately needed, said Jack Stewart, president of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association.
"The whole industry is cannibalizing each other to get skilled labor," he explained. "We're doing a tremendous disservice to kids when (careers) are out there and we're not introducing them to those careers."
On Wednesday, staff from Sierra's Center for Applied Competitive Technologies Tech-Explorer project worked with students at the paramilitary community school to fabricate parts and build catapults.
The students are turning their lives around, noted Joan Berry, director of alternative education for Placer County Office of Education.
"These are bright students, many of whom excel when they can learn by doing and see how the academic theory is applied," she said. "The CACT Tech-Explorer catapult project is perfect for our students because they'll … be introduced to careers that they may not have considered."
Sierra is looking for industry sponsors to replicate the program. Want more information? Call Sandra Scott at (916) 781-6245.
About the writer:
- Call The Bee's Darrell Smith, (916) 321-1040.
Ashley Kite uses a drill press as she gets hands-on experience in building catapult parts in the Tech-Explorer project. Randy Pench / rpench@sacbee.com
Unique content, exceptional value. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Most Popular
More Stories in Business
ON THE WEB
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
QUICK JOB SEARCH
News |
Sports |
Business |
Politics |
Opinion |
Entertainment |
Lifestyle |
Travel |
Blogs |
Cars |
Homes |
Jobs |
Classifieds/Shopping
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Site Map | Advertise | Guide to The Bee | Bee Jobs | FAQs | RSS
Contact Us | Subscribe | Manage Your Subscription | E-newsletters | Sacbeemail | Archives
sacbee.com | Sacramento.com | Capitol Alert | SacMomsClub.com | SacPaws.com
Copyright © The Sacramento Bee
2100 Q St. P.O. Box 15779 Sacramento, CA 95816 (916) 321-1000