Career and Technical Education

West Covina Unified School District provides students with industry relevant learning experiences through career-oriented pathways in the fields such as engineering, performing arts, game design, digital media and photography, food service and hospitality, public safety, patient care and more.

West Covina Unified School District CTE Programs:

• Offer high quality curriculum and instruction aligned to the California CTE Model Curriculum Standards 
• Prepare students with the academic and technical skills, knowledge and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners
• Provide real world 21st century skills that make one career and college ready relevant to today's industry needs
• Enable students to transition to post-secondary program/training, leading to a career pathway, and attain employment

 

CTE Pathways at WCUSD

Edgewood High School  West Covina High School

 

 

Career Technical Education (CTE) engages students in a dynamic, hands-on learning experience that results in the mastery of specific career and academic skills. CTE prepares youth and adults for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers. CTE pathways provide students with the technical, academic and employability knowledge they need for success in college and careers.

Career Technical Education

(CTE) Pathways enable students to learn academic and technical skills, which help them meet College and Career Readiness standards when they graduate from high school. Students learn transferable professional skills through project-based learning, which are aligned with CTE Model Curriculum Standards and Academic Content Standards. Courses are sequenced so that students build on prior knowledge and work toward advanced coursework in the Capstone class. To be a completor, students must complete two courses (Concentrator + Capstone) in sequential order within the pathway.
5 Things to Know About Career Technical Education (CTE)

Why should students participate in a CTE pathway?

While in high school, students have the opportunity to acquire free technical skills training in the career field he/she is interested in.  Students will learn valuable technical skills and soft skills making them employable regardless of the field of study they actually end up in. WCUSD students will receive a chord to wear at graduation for completing a CTE Pathway. 

“UC A-G” approved CTE courses

The A-G / College Entrance Requirements are a sequence of high school courses that students must complete (with a grade of C or better) to be minimally eligible for admission to the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU).

The purposes of the A-G / College Entrance Requirements are to ensure that entering students:

• Can participate fully in the first year program at UC and CSU in a broad variety of fields of study;
• Have attained the necessary preparation for courses, majors, and programs offered at UC and CSU
• Have attained a body of knowledge that will provide breadth and perspective to new, more advanced studies;
• Have attained essential critical thinking and study skills. All of WCUSD CTE courses are approved to satisfy the “a-g” subject requirements

 

What are the steps to choosing a CTE Pathway?

There are three basic questions that need to be asked in choosing a Career or a Pathway:

• Who am I?
• What do I want to do?
• How do I get there from here?

West Covina Unified School District students have an opportunity to “try on” a career by participating in a CTE Pathway. To help your students pick a CTE Pathway that is a good match, have them visit California Career Zone and work through the assessment tools that will help them focus on who they are and want they want to do. Then, they can continue to explore what careers are a good match for them and what CTE Pathway will best prepare them for that career.

How can parents help their students choose a CTE pathway?

7 Ways to Help Your Child Choose a Career

• Resist treating your child as an extension of you
• Help your child discover their strengths and passions
• Help find a mentor for your child
• Expose your child to a variety of activities to see what piques their interest
• Find your tribe, and encourage your child to find theirs
• Set a great example
• Be patient and encouraging