Cullman City Schools introducing 3 new career tech programs

CULLMAN, Ala. (WBRC) - Students at Cullman High School will have new career and technical education programs for the upcoming school year. The three new programs include engineering, cybersecurity, and marketing.

Allison Tuggle, the principal at Cullman High School, says that the courses are designed to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in STEM.

“We are excited to announce the launch of our groundbreaking Career Technical Programs designed to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in the field of STEM,” Tuggle said. “The Marketing, Cybersecurity, and Engineering Programs will aim to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to contribute to this rapidly evolving field.”

Cullman City Schools Career Tech Coordinator, Lindsay Brannon, says that they are needed not only locally, but nationally. Brannon believes that studying these industries will help students in the long run.

Brannon says there are now eight career tech pathways: computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, educators in training, food & wellness, general agriculture, health science, and marketing, She adds that students start exploring which they might like to explore in eighth grade, when a career coach teaches them about the industries.

Once the students are in high school, Brannon says if they take three classes in their chosen pathway, they will earn a “college and career readiness indicator,” an industry credential, and a cord at graduation.

Brannon says career tech is no longer just about students who want to learn a trade.

“Career tech is really for every student,” she explains. “It’s developing their soft skills. It’s developing their oral communication, their collaboration, their strategic thinking, critical thinking. Every one of these skills are only going to make students more prepared for life.”

Brannon says the school has really created a vision to expand their career tech over the last two years.

In a press release, Cullman City Schools said: In addition to course options at the high school level, the school system has also been implementing an intentional plan to build introductory career tech into the middle school curriculum with the goal of exposing students to various potential career paths. The middle school courses aim to develop foundational, technical, and employability skills that they can continue to build in high school.

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