By OR Trail School District, For The Mountain Times
In a Regional Needs Assessment performed as part of a pilot program by the South Metro-Salem STEM Partnership, Sandy High School (SHS) saw strong alignment between the school’s Machining and Welding & Fabrication programs and employer expectations.
“When we built the new Sandy High School, we promised that our students would have the opportunity to pursue rigorous and robust Career and; Technical Education opportunities to prepare them to enter the job force as a highly desired candidate,” Oregon Trail School District (OTSD) Superintendent Aaron Bayer said. “This assessment highlights how we have delivered on that promise.”
SHS’s Machining program aligned with 88 percent of employer expectations, while the Welding & Fabricating program aligned with 79 percent of expectations, both the highest in Clackamas County for schools that were surveyed.
Sandy High School Manufacturing Instructor Paul Panula noted the school has several “pipelines to employment,” including an advisory team made up of representatives from local industries. Team members have even interviewed and hired students during class time.
“I tell students, ‘You don’t have to go to college to have a great life. However, you do need to have skills which the world is willing to pay you money for,’” Panula said. “You can learn those skills here.”
For the Regional Machining Needs, 25 different skills were listed with SHS meeting 22. Two others were designated as “Easily Achievable Opportunities” and just one designated as “Professional Development Needed.” SHS was the only school in the region who did not have any expectation designated “Equipment Needed” or “Equipment and Professional Development Needed.”
For Regional Welding & Fabricating Needs, SHS met 19 of 24 skills, with the remaining five designated as “Easily Achievable Opportunities.”
SHS offers eight different CTE programs of study and students who complete a CTE program graduate at a rate of 99 percent. The district’s commitment to CTE extends beyond SHS, with elective courses offered at Boring Middle School and Cedar Ridge Middle School, including Food Science, Veterinary Science, Environmental Science, Intro to First Aid, Sports Management and Engineering & Design – Drones & Robotics.