College Is Great, but...

Last month, Adams County’s school districts realized a dream that has been over 50 years in the making, an independent career and technical education center in Adams County. The establishment of the Adams County Technical Institute (ACTI) will allow students to earn industry credentials and certification in a variety of fields by the time they graduate from High School.

Until recently, students had to travel outside the county to earn access to a comprehensive vocational education program. Most school districts cannot offer certification programs on their own because there would not be enough enrollment to support the purchase of equipment and pay for the staff needed to deliver the instruction.

Now, through a cooperative agreement among five of the six Adams County school districts, high school students will be able to earn industry credentials and/or certification in building trades, early learning, computer networking, diesel mechanics, law enforcement/criminal justice, allied health and culinary arts.

For now, these programs will be offered on the campus of Gettysburg High School. The programs will be a continuation of those that are currently part of the Adams County Tech Prep program. The difference is, that the new ACTI will function as an independent educational entity, where as the soon-to-be-phased-out Adams County Tech Prep program is run by the Gettysburg Area School District.

An independent career and technical center in Adams County is a huge step forward. Where students previously had to travel 45 minutes to an hour to attend comprehensive vocational programs, they will now have only a 20-30 minute ride to Gettysburg. The establishment of the ACTI also offers a greater likelihood of expanded program offerings for Adams County students in the future.

So why is vocational training for high school students important? Ask the newly appointed ACTI Administrative Director, Shawn Eckenrode, and he will summarize his answer with three numbers; 1:2:7. That is the ratio of workers with advanced college degrees to workers with a Bachelor’s Degree to those without a full college degree. In other words, seven out of ten jobs require some sort of training outside of a college degree program.

Think of the many workers you interact with on a daily basis whose employment requires intense training, but not necessarily a college degree — barbers, beauticians, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, masons, mechanics, dental assistants, nurse assistants, chefs and more. Now think of all the behind-the-scenes jobs done by workers with technical skills or specialized, non-college training, such as computer programmers, power-line workers, refrigeration specialists, law enforcement officers, hotel and restaurant workers.

So much of our service industry is dependent on skilled labor, and our Adams County school districts are providing opportunities for more students to receive the training needed to fulfill the demand for these positions. That demand will continue to grow as our economy continues to transition from manufacturing to service.

While our school districts have taken this step to establish a career and technical education center in Adams County, they are not abandoning their in-house vocational training programs. Each of our local school districts offers a vocational agriculture program. In some cases, these programs allow students to earn industry credentials and certifications related to farming and agriculture. In addition, thanks to generous donations from area businesses and industry, Conewago Valley School District recently added facilities to provide training in precision machine work, welding, and automated electronics. Our schools also continue to offer exploratory classes related to a variety of vocational fields to help students determine if they have an interest in pursuing a career in one of these fields.

It is not difficult to see the need for well-trained workers with up-to-date knowledge of the latest technology and equipment, nor is it difficult to see the lack of skilled crafts people in a variety of trades. This need and scarcity make finding a job in many vocational fields a near guarantee, and with a good wage, too.

Funding for these programs, however, is an ongoing concern. Like all of public education in Pennsylvania, the legislature needs to direct more dollars to vocational education. According to NEA Research, Pennsylvania ranked 42nd in the percentage of revenue the state contributed toward total all public education revenues in 2018. Conversely, our state ranked 8th in the percent of public school revenue that came from local sources like property taxes.

This gross imbalance contributes significantly to the school tax burden many of our residents complain about. It also inhibits the ability of our school district to provide an even wider array of vocational programs for our students, which could lead to higher levels of employment in better paying jobs.

Governor Wolf’s budget proposal includes increases for basic education and special education subsidies, both of which are greatly needed. However, it does not propose any increase for vocational training programs. Let’s hope that our legislators see the wisdom and practicality of vocational training and work to provide increased funding for these programs in the upcoming budget.

Dennis Cope is a retired administrator of the Upper Adams School District and a member of the Gettysburg DFA Education Task Force.