With college right around the corner, many students strategically pick their classes to prepare for their future. While a wide variety of courses are available, Career Center and Forsyth Tech offer more programs and classes that you can register for while still being a student at West. These schools provide more specific courses and chances to get certifications such as a Certified Nursing assistants and Associate’s degree in Science. Both schools are easily accessible and hold many opportunities for students across the county.
Career Center is a secondary school beside John F. Kennedy High School. They offer Career & Technical Education, Advanced Placement, and specialty courses. They provide five language classes (Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, French, Spanish, and German) and 14 CTE classes ranging from Cosmetology to Carpentry. Career Center offers internships and apprenticeships, hands-on learning, service learning opportunities, and college credits.
CCHS also has a running bus system throughout the school day. Departure buses leave West at 7:15 a.m., 8:50 a.m., and 12:15 p.m., while returning buses arrive at 9:30 a.m., 12:10 p.m. and 3:40 p.m. For students who have their license and prefer to drive, they have two parking lots and sell parking stickers starting Aug. 14 for seniors, Aug. 21 for juniors, and Aug. 23 for all attending students.
Forsyth Tech is a two-year community college that helps students receive their associate’s degree. Forsyth Tech also has a dual-enrollment program called the Career and College Promise available for juniors and seniors if they meet the minimum GPA requirement of 2.8 and their counselor approves. Students pick the associate’s path that works with their interests, including arts, science, and technology; they then follow the course load path to receive their degree. All 17 North Carolina state schools will accept these credits; therefore, most students will enter college as first-semester juniors, having already received the credits for their freshman and sophomore years.
Forsyth Tech has multiple locations, including the Main Campus on Silas Creek Parkway and the West Campus on Bolton Street. Through the Career and College Promise program, the state covers the tuition. However, students are still responsible for paying the fees for each course’s materials, books, and textbooks. Since Forsyth Tech is a college, there is a fee for taking classes; however, if the student completes and passes their courses, they will receive a partial refund of the initial payment they made at the beginning of the semester.
Forsyth Tech does not have a busing system; however, when registering for classes, you can take your classes completely asynchronously, where students take the course online with no class meetings. The options for classes include in-person, a blended class with a mix of in-person and asynchronous, and completely asynchronous. This allows students who may not have transportation to the campus to still have all the benefits without being limited to what courses they can take.
Registration for the Career Center is quite simplistic. When registering, students will fill out their high school schedule with typically three to four classes they wish to take at the Career Center and leave a “block” space as a transportation period for students to commute to and from the Career Center. They offer the ability to be at the Career Center for only one half-day or all-day class. Students will also need to provide alternatives for both Career Center and their high school classes as there can be a timing conflict. Career Center offers both year-long and semester-long courses.
Registering for Forsyth Tech is slightly more complicated; first, students must make an appointment with their counselor to discuss if they meet the requirements. Following this meeting, they will schedule an appointment with the dual enrollment High School Advisor, Mr. Waddell. If a student still wishes to dual-enroll following these meetings, they will set up an additional appointment with Mr. Waddell to schedule classes. There are specific requirements for the number of credit hours and which categories these classes need to fall under, but there is a guide located on Forsyth Tech’s main website. Forsyth Tech classes follow “mini semesters” where each course is eight weeks long, so students will take, on average, one to two courses per “mini semester” and between five to seven courses per year.
Career Center and Forsyth Tech are different alternatives to help prepare students for college and build resumes. Both offer unique experiences compared to the traditional high school setting and various additional classes not offered at most high schools. These alternative options help further students’ education and allow them to jumpstart their career or the college process, whether by getting their CNA or Associate’s degree.