COLUMNS--FEATURE SPOT, Opinion
 By  Staff Reports Published 
3:47 pm Friday, February 24, 2012

Students are being prepped for future

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Franklin County Career Technical Center in Belgreen to do a story about all the programs they offer in celebration of National Career Tech Week.

I’ve been to the Career Tech Center a couple of times since I started working at the paper, but before that, I didn’t even know it existed.

I have a feeling many people are the same way and don’t even realize what the Career Tech Center is or what they do.

The story I wrote that was in Wednesday’s paper told about all the different programs they offered, but I wanted to give my personal opinion about the Career Tech Center and some of the observations I made while I was there.

Every student I saw or talked to seemed to be genuinely grateful to have the opportunity to attend a place where they could receive training for their future.

Most of the kids there are looking at careers where they will need to use the skills they’re already learning as high school students so they’re able to get a head start on their training.

This fact allows Franklin County students the chance to be ahead of the game and be better trained for and more likely to receive jobs that other people their age (or even older) might get passed over for because the Franklin County students have extra training and experience that the others don’t have.

But the neat thing about the Career Tech Center is that is can still be beneficial to students who don’t plan on having a technical career because they can learn just basic things that would come in handy working around the house, basic technology skills like typing or using a computer, or practical things for healthy living in the health science classes.

I don’t think we really realize what an important and valuable tool we have right here in the county through these career tech classes. We basically have workforce development right here, which should be a great asset and marketing tool to industries that might be interested in locating in the area.

Times are tough financially in the education system and many things have to be cut, but I sincerely hope that legislators and education officials realize how important these kinds of classes are.

In my opinion, these career tech classes are just as important as core classes. Some people may not feel that way, but consider this:

Just like my English classes were vitally important to me as a writer, a collision repair class is vitally important to someone who wants to be an auto mechanic; a building technology class is vitally important to someone who wants to be a carpenter; a health science class is vitally important to someone wanting to be a nurse.

It’s the same thing as fine arts classes, too. Someone who desperately wants to be a singer or an actor or a professional musician needs to have access to fine arts classes to prepare them for their future.

In the end, everything is important to someone, and we are lucky here in Franklin County to have a place that teaches the students in the area the skills they need to have a career that is important to them.

 

Also on Franklin County Times
Thorpe to play at Blue Mountain Christian
High School Sports, News, Russellville, ...
Brannon King For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE – Brennon Thorpe made his plans official to attend Blue Mountain Christian University and play baseball for the Toppers during a recent s...
Russellville High Class of 1967 gathers, reminisces
Columnists, News, Opinion, ...
HERE AND NOW
July 16, 2025
You can’t really go back to the good old days of high school, but you can pay them a visit now and then. That’s exactly what the RHS Class of 1967 has...
Former Cypress Lakes official to lead Guntersville State Park
Lifestyles, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
GUNTERSVILLE — Heath Puckett had an Auburn University degree and golf course superintendent certification in his pocket when he arrived at Cypress Lak...
European travel builds bonds across cultures
Lifestyles, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE -- A group of Franklin County travelers spent nine days this summer walking through catacombs, exploring castles and standing in places w...
Little Free Library welcomes readers in East Franklin
Lifestyles, News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Eleven-year-old Aiden Hall is an avid reader, but he doesn’t just want to read books. He also wants to share them, and the way he deci...
King becomes elementary curriculum director
Lifestyles, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELVILLE — Molly King says every child can learn, though not necessarily in the same way or on the same day — a belief she plans to carry into her ...
New Junior Leaders begin their training
Franklin County, News
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
FRANKLIN COUNTY — Forty-two high school students from across Franklin County are beginning 10 months of hands-on leadership training and community ser...
Fire destroys 2-story garage, guest suite
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
R U S S E L LV I L L E – Jason Gist leaned against the wall of his home with a look of disgust while dozens of firefighters worked to extinguish a fir...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Stories
July 4, 2025Augusto Simon Diaz, 42, of Russellville, passed away July 4. Visitation and funeral were held at Spry Memorial Chapel on July 12 from 2pm ...
July 16, 2025
July 8, 2025Jamie Kerby Cummings, 41, of Russellville, passed away on July 8. Visitation took place July 13, at Spry Memorial Chapel from 1 pm to 3pm....
July 16, 2025
July 11,2025Julie “JuJu” Welch Black, 63, of Russellville, passed away on July 11.Graveside service was held at 1pm on July 13, at Belgreen Cemetery w...
July 16, 2025
July 9, 2025Scott Noel Benford, age 58, of Muscle Shoals, passed away on July 9. Visitation was held at Pinkard Funeral Home in Russellville on July 1...
July 16, 2025