New pathways diploma to prepare grads for workforce

Ted Soileau, with the Evangeline Parish school district, presented information to the school board during its meeting Wednesday, September 3, regarding changes to diplomas and the new career diploma.
Soileau stated that there are plans for billions of dollars of industrial projects in the state, which will require over 85,000 new skilled workers. He also noted only 20 percent of high school graduates in the state go on to earn four-year degrees and another eight percent earn two-year degrees. This leaves 72 percent of graduates who will not attend college at all. With this in mind, the state developed this new career diploma to focus more on preparing these students for the workforce and to teach them a skill.
Soileau said the school system currently offers three diplomas: Core Four, Basic and Career. The Basic diploma is being phased out, which will give students the opportunity to take the college path (Core Four diploma) or the career path. The career path removes some of the college required classes from the curriculum. High school students on the career path with take only two Social Studies and two sciences instead of the four classes that the Core Four diploma requires. This, and other changes to the curriculum, will free up time for career path students to take skill-specific classes, such as welding, carpenter, etc.
Beginning this year, freshmen in high schools across the parish were given the opportunity to choose which pathway they wanted between the career pathway and Core Four, which is intended to prepare students for college.
Currently for the Greater Acadiana Regional Team, which consists of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion, there have been 17 pathways approved. These pathways will offer different skill-based classes for students to give them a jump start in beginning a career after graduation. While the 17 pathways are not all being offered to students here in Evangeline Parish, they are available to be offered in the future if there is enough interest amongst students for those pathways. They include:
•Internet web foundations
•Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
•Four stroke technician
•Collision repair
•Manufacturing specialist
•Automotive service
•Mobile crane
•Oil and gas
•Carpenter
•Certified mechanical apprentice drafter
•ProStart (restaurant/food service)
•Certified nursing assistant
•Web design professional
•Welder
•Industrial maintenance mechanic
•Fashion Design for costume and film
•Emergency medical responder