CATEC May 2024 Newsletter

There are lots of ways to know what is happening at CATEC. Keep in touch with us to know what our students are doing and all the ways we are working to improve our local workforce.

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Dear CATEC Families,

May was such a busy month. Our CNA students participated in their Pinning Ceremony, our students who are entering the workforce in their fields were celebrated in our annual School-to-Work Signing Day event, and our completers participated in our Completers Ceremony at Monticello High School. Congratulations to all of our students as they completed another great year at CATEC.

We hope your families have safe and relaxing summers. As CATEC transitions to Charlottesville City Schools' leadership for the 2024-2025 school year, please note that our first day of school will be August 14th. If you have questions about your schedule for next year, please contact Ms. Butler, our School Counselor.

We look forward to seeing our returning students in August!

Please mark your family calendars for upcoming events:

• June 7: Last Day of School
• August 14: First Day of 2024-2025 School Year
• September 28: CATEC 50th Anniversary Celebration

Thank you,

Dr. Stacey Heltz

CATEC is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! Our celebratory event will take place on Saturday, September 28th. More details to come, but please share this date with all family, friends, community members, and alumni!

• CBS19: Dozens of Students Sign with Local Employers
  
• NBC29: CATEC Hosts Annual School-to-Work Signing Day
  

Earlier this month CATEC students were awarded $13,000 in scholarships, thanks to The Rotary Club, Blue Ridge Area Homebuilders Association, and the Trades and Technical Education Foundation. These students will be able to continue their educations thanks to these generous patrons.

Our Nurse Assistant students participated in their Pinning Ceremony, a tradition dating back may years that celebrates nurses achieving their academic and professional accomplishments.

29 CATEC students participated in our annual School-to-Work Signing Day event. This event celebrates students entering the workforce in their CATEC industries. The event is sponsored by the Trades and Technical Education Foundation and Red Wing Shoes Charlottesville. Students receive industry gifts and gift certificates for new industry footwear.

130+ CATEC students participated in our annual Completers Ceremony. Students were celebrated at Monticello High School this year. Charlottesville High School Senior Matteo Espinoza was the student speaker and Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade was the keynote speaker.

CATEC values making sure students leave our building with the technical skills and workplace skills necessary for entering the workforce. CATEC has implemented a "CATEC Students Are Professional" mantra to ensure students understand what it takes to be successful in our building and in the workforce. Students are expected to act in accordance with industry standards and practice the 22 21st Century Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth. Congratulations to all our students who participated in industry job interviews in the last month. And a big congrats goes out to our students who were hired as a result of their interviews!

EMT

May 15th-21st is National Emergency Medical Services Week. EMS Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine's "front line." Now, more than ever, CATEC thanks all of our emergency first responders for their public service and celebrates its Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) students who will enter the industry in the service of others.

EMT Curriculum

As part of CATEC’s Health and Medical Sciences Academy, the EMT program (housed at Western Albemarle High School and the CATEC campus) gives students the opportunity to learn the basics of emergency medical care. Students learn about anatomy and physiology, initial patient survey and triage, airway management, oxygen therapy, treatment of bleeding, shock, cardiac arrest, fractures, spinal injuries, and other medical emergencies. Students can become certified in American Red Cross Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers, the Virginia Workplace Readiness Skills Assessment, and the National Registry EMT- Basic certification.

Duel-Enrollment and Clinicals

CATEC’s EMT program is dual-enrolled with Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC). Students successfully completing the program may receive college credits for the course. Students participate in a required 30-hour clinical experience at local emergency locations, including local rescue squads and the University of Virginia University Hospital. Student experiences are thoroughly documented, determining whether students can sit for their Virginia Emergency Medical Technician-Basic exam.

New Equipment

New equipment is making for an even more realistic EMT programs thanks to an ambulance donation and grant funding. UVA Health donated a retired ambulance two years ago, allowing students the opportunity now to practice loading and unloading patients. It also allows them to understand the physical space needed to operate inside an ambulance. CATEC was also awarded a $37,500 CTE Competitive Innovative Program Equipment grant from the VDOE. The grant allows us to purchase a CAE Ares emergency care manikin that has life-like features and a responsive physiology. It simulates 6 clinical experiences right in the classroom.

Projected Job Growth

There are many career pathways for emergency medical professionals. Most often, students can train to become an EMT/Paramedic who assesses injuries, administers emergency medical care, and extricates trapped individuals. They can also transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities. The projected job growth for EMT/Paramedics in Virginia is 20%. Professionals can also become Medical Assistants. Medical Assistants perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of physicians. They can schedule appointments, maintain medical records, take and record vital signs and medical histories, prepare patients for examination, draw blood, and administer medications. On average, Virginia’s Medical Assistants earn more than the national average and can expect 35% job growth.

Mrs. Gardner has been in the Emergency Medical field for since 2000, with 14 years as an active provider, overlapping with 15 years as an EMS Instructor. Her qualifications include: Virginia Paramedic, Virginia EMS Education Coordinator, and an NCEE certification (Nationally Certified EMS Educator). She was a first responder at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. She is a faculty member of the Virginia EMS Symposium, is a member of the Virginia DOE EMT I/II Curriculum Revision committee, and served on the EMT III Curriculum writing committee. Mrs. Gardner is an adjunct professor for Piedmont Virginia Community College and, as such, her EMT students receive dual-enrollment college credits.

Fire Science

May 4th was International Firefighters Day. CATEC is celebrating its Fire Service program and our community of career and volunteer firefighters who help keep us safe. CATEC’s Fire Service program has spent the last 19 years introducing students to the importance of fire safety and public service.

Fire Science Curriculum

CATEC’s Fire Service program introduces students to the equipment and procedures necessary to fight live fires, operate in simulated hazardous materials incidents, and conduct search-and-rescue operations. Students react to multi-faceted situations such as accidents, natural disasters, and simulated terrorism as part of an emergency response team. They become familiar with emerging technologies like communications dispatch, geographic information systems mapping, incident reporting, and simulation programs. Each year, students participate in two live burns at the Charlottesville Albemarle Training Ground. Throughout the year, students gain valuable workplace skills necessary to become successful firefighters, including teamwork, critical thinking, public service, research, report writing, and incident management skills. This course challenges students academically, mentally, and physically.

Duel-Enrollment and Certifications

The Fire Service program has dual enrolled agreements with Central Virginia Community College. Students who successfully complete the program can receive college credits towards an Associates Degree in Fire Service Technology, transferrable to many schools in the Virginia Community College System. Students receive college credit in classes that cover principles of fire and emergency services, fire prevention, strategy and tactics, and First Aid and CPR. Additionally, many students undertake junior volunteer firefighter experiences at area fire stations, earning on-the-job training and exposure to the industry outside of the classroom setting.

Students in the Fire Service program earn up to 18 industry credentials that make graduates very marketable. Students sit for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs Firefighter I and II exam, and can earn certifications in Hazardous Materials Operations, Agency Overview, Active Gun Shooter for First Responders, and Introduction to Technical Rescue. Students can also earn Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) certifications in Introduction to Incident Command, National Incident management System, and National Response Framework and Introduction.

New Equipment

Two years ago the program received a retired fire truck from the Faber Volunteer Fire Department. Students can work on a truck, learning about various equipment. Fire Science collaborated with Electricity students to upgrade the equipment and work on a variety of projects together.

Projected Job Growth

Graduates have many career pathways related to the Fire Service or positions in public service. They can become firefighters who work to control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment are at risk. The projected job growth in Virginia for firefighters shows an 14% increase with higher earnings than the national average. Graduates can also become Arson Investigators who collect evidence, eyewitness accounts, and determine causes of fires. Or, graduates can work as Forestry Fire Prevention Specialists, inspecting forests for potential fire hazards and enforcing fire regulations. Instructor Captain Bobby Elliott estimates at least 30 former students have entered the industry as career or volunteer firefighters.

Additionally, many CATEC Fire Service program graduates enter the military. Captain Elliot estimates at least 18 former students have become service members and at least three alumni have become police offers. Similarly, students can continue their educations by combining their public service interests with academic pursuits outside of the Fire Service.

Captain Elliott has been a firefighter since 1985 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fire Science and an Associate of Allied Science degree in Fire Science Technology. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Drill Instructor and is state certified as a Fire Officer III and Fire Instructor III through the Virginia Department of Fire Programs. Captain Elliott is an adjunct professor for Central Virginia Community College, as such, his Firefighting students can receive dual-enrollment college credits.

CATEC offers Adult Education and Apprenticeship training that covers a range of technical education courses. The career and technical offerings will help lifelong learners: enhance current skills, gain new knowledge for increased job marketability, continue life-long learning, make life more enjoyable, or simply have fun. CATEC provides a positive place for post-secondary learning. Apprenticeship programs are approved by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry and provide employer sponsors and their employees with the required related technical instruction hours needed to satisfy a full Apprenticeship program. Watch a video here.

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Email: heltzs1@charlottesvilleschools.org
Website: www.catec.org
Location: 1000 Rio Road East, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Phone: 434-973-4461
Facebook: facebook.com/CATECHighSchool
Twitter: @CATEChs