WARREN, Ohio – The Trumbull Career & Technical Center saw strong application numbers for the 2021-2022 school year, receiving over 700 applicants with half of the junior-level programs reaching capacity. This drove county enrollment to 22% – the highest rate the school has seen in almost a decade, reports Superintendent Jason Gray.
Paula Baco was promoted to high school director in July, , following the retirement of Mary Flint after 24 years with TCTC. Working with Gray, Baco adjusted the school’s relations and recruitment strategy to adapt to changes that emerged with the pandemic.
TCTC also appointed a work-based learning coordinator to build partnerships with local businesses and place students in career fields related to their studies.
“To support economic success in the region, we must acknowledge the labor shift that is occurring,” Gray says. “There is a great demand for highly skilled workers, and this is expected to persist into the future. If we can continue to raise awareness among young students and local families about the labor market shifts and multitude of paths available to obtain in-demand skills, we will collectively build a pipeline of talented and highly skilled workers.”
TCTC collects industry feedback and issues regional needs assessments to determine program offerings and curriculum adjustments. Last year, incoming juniors were among the first students to participate in the newly structured Culinary Arts Academy, Education and Family Services, and Fire and EMS Academy.
This year, 50 ninth-grade students will be the first to enroll in TCTC’s Early Innovators Academy. By 2023, the center will increase enrollment by some 100 students in grades nine and 10 alone.
This year, the center plans to hire a career and technical education instructor to lead the project-based career exploration courses.