There was a time when “shop class” was pretty much a standard offering in high school, and even at the junior high (now middle school) level. However, classes in “industrial tech” were largely phased out as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) began to take a more prominent role.
In the Solon Community School District, the on-site industrial tech program was eliminated about eight years ago according to Superintendent Davis Eidahl. In its place, students have attended courses through the Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa in Coralville. The Kirkwood Academy offers several career track academies in which high school students earn both credits toward graduation as well as college credit with subject areas including healthcare, construction trades, manufacturing, and liberal arts.
With the completion of the Center For the Arts in 2017 two courses – Intro to Architecture, Construction and Engineering (ACE), and Construction Materials Processing, were brought back to the high school on a part time basis.
Intro to ACE is a one-quarter long class where students design, draw, measure, plan and create according to the class description. It is an opportunity to apply math, science, literacy skills while designing and building projects in the theater’s scenery shop and using the green room (where performers prepare for a show) as a classroom.
Construction Material Processing, also a one-quarter long class, studies the processes used to create the buildings we all live, work, play, and live in. Students learn the vocabulary of the design process and the building trades, review safety procedures, and learn new skills through hands-on experiences while working together to complete construction projects.
Principal Zach Wigle said an increase in demand for the classes, by the students, has led to the hiring of a fulltime teacher, who will begin in August and teach eight sections of the Intro to ACE and Construction Material Processing classes. Eidahl and Wigle added the hope is to also add introductory or “exposure” classes in the middle school, what Eidahl calls “exploratories.” Wigle added 79 students are currently enrolled for Intro to ACE for next year, with 17-18 per class while 29 have enrolled in Construction Material Processing.
Wigle said there is also hope for continuing to increase both interest and opportunities for “CTE (Career and Technical Education)” programming at the high school, which could eventually lead to the need for additional educational space beyond using the scene shop.
Nationwide the demand for skilled trade workers continues to increase as employers find it increasingly difficult to find new hires, and popular entertainment personality Mike Rowe has championed the trades and encouraging students to seek training to meet the labor shortfalls. Historically however there has been a stigma for those who enter “blue collar” jobs rather than go on to a four-year college or university despite paid apprenticeships during training, and high wages upon completion.
To help meet the demand for skilled trades, school districts have been doing more to promote the trades as an option to students. State law requires every school district in Iowa to have an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) for each student in grades 8-12. In 2016 the law was amended to increase emphasis on CTE, integrating high-quality, high-value, career-related experiences designed to increase student engagement while aligning their interests with local, regional, and state labor market needs.
For the Solon district, ICAP is a work-in-progress. According to the State 98 eighth-graders have developed an ICAP, 43 (grades 8-12) have completed all ICAP components, and 202 (grades 8-12) have identified postsecondary education or career goals. About 490 students currently attend the high school.
Overall Wigle said, it’s a matter of striking a balance between the students’ interests and needs and not undertaking potentially expensive redundancies by duplicating Kirkwood’s efforts unnecessarily.
Jon Weih, Director of the Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa, said the three “trades” or CTE academies will run next fall. “There is good interest in each of those by students. Advanced Manufacturing will run two full sections next year. ACE will run one full section and Automotive Technician and Automotive Collision, Repair, and Restoration will each have great numbers of students as well,” Weih said. “There is a need by business and industry for those who have an interest in these types of skilled trades. Students receive excellent instruction, from faculty who have worked in each of these trades.” In addition to high school and college credit, Weih noted students often have the opportunity to earn industry credentials as well, increasing their desirability to employers.
More information about Kirkwood’s academy offerings can be found online at https://www.kirkwood.edu/explore/locations/uofi-regional.