Pinellas County Schools guidance counselors get a lesson in workforce education

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 | COLLEGE NEWS

Pinellas Technical College hosted Pinellas County Schools middle and high school guidance
counselors Friday, Sept. 27 on the Clearwater campus.

Pinellas Technical College (PTC) Clearwater campus hosted the monthly guidance department meeting for both Pinellas County Schools middle and high school department leaders last Friday.

In between learning new technology and innovative ways to guide K-12 students to academic achievement and personal and career success, the counselors got a chance to learn more about workforce education.

Dispelling the myth that students who gravitate toward industrial trades are the ones that "smoked cigarettes out back," PTC Clearwater campus Director Jakub Prokop said the college is in the business of churning out students that are ready-to-work in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

"This college is STEM. Everything that we do has to do with those four disciplines, no matter what field you go into."

Prokop said PTC is looking for students that, when they get through high school, are tired of sitting in class looking at a board and taking notes.

"They want to do something else; they want to work with their hands."

“PTC is a starting point for a very fruitful and rewarding career in
industry,” said Jakub Prokop, PTC Clearwater campus director.

With more than 50 programs between the Clearwater and St. Petersburg campuses, PTC offers "something for everybody."

Prokop asked the counselors to keep the college in mind when they spot a child who is good with their hands and have great spatial abilities but may be struggling in the classroom.

"Tell them not to give up; finish high school! There's a spot [at PTC], and we want students like them."

Presidents, CEOs, and human resource managers contact both campuses looking for students daily. With a 92 percent placement rate, "We're here to help our community and hopefully break a lot of cycles of poverty," Prokop asserted.

Last spring, Pinellas County Schools had 7,000 students graduate with high school diplomas. Only eight percent enrolled at PTC, and only 27 percent went on to a four-year institution.

The majority of the more than 60 percent of graduates went straight into the workforce, working for minimum wage.

Occupational Specialist Dr. Dallas Jackson conducts information
sessions either in person or virtually with middle and high school students.

"If you know what it's like lifting off at minimum wage with the cost of living and as expensive as things are in Pinellas, those who did not choose an occupation, career or direction, have a very long road," said Dr. Dallas Jackson, occupational specialist.

Jackson conducts information sessions either in person or virtually with middle and high school students and has seen the "lights turn on for many."

"I can link an automotive teacher to a classroom in seconds where you're talking real-time," he explained.

Since not all students will have the grades, money, or inclination to attend a four-year institution, Jackson asked the counselors to steer them towards PTC.

"It's not tracking; it's being realistic," he explained. "You are the most important population because we need to start early." 

PTC accepts the Federal Pell Grant and a variety of scholarships such as Take Stock in Children and Bright Futures. Students graduate in a year or less ready for the workforce with no debt.

For more information, visit myptc.edu.