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IRSC at 60
LABOR DEVELOPMENT
from school to college are called Career Technical Education
classes. Every CTE class, Gent noted, is fully articulated with
matching college classes. That means student-earned technical
certificates are fully accepted in the world of work.
Gent gave two examples of how vocational education in
schools and college has responded to changing needs in the
business world.
A high school-based marine engineering academy is slated
to begin feeding the technical manpower needs of the megayacht
industry at the Port of Fort Pierce. Also, pre-engineering
classes at Treasure Coast High School mesh with college
courses to help plug the gap in manufacturing training on the
Treasure Coast.
Gent also spoke of the “A promise is a promise” program
for education students at IRSC. Gent pledged that all program
graduates are guaranteed a teaching job with the St.
Lucie County school system when they successfully complete
their IRSC courses.
“In the last five years there’s been a heavy emphasis on
that,” Gent said. “We are growing our own.”
Gent cited one success story he’s especially proud of.
Aliesha Seitz is the director of career technical education
for St. Lucie schools. A graduate of St. Lucie West Centennial
High School, Seitz studied allied health at IRSC, becoming a
registered respiratory therapist. She went on to teach allied
health classes at IRSC for seven years before being named to
her current position in the school system.
“When I was a principal and in the six years as superintendent,
we’ve worked very closely with IRSC,” Gent said. “Staff
there have consistently been responsive and innovative. They
are always working to prepare students for the world of
work. It’s been an excellent partnership.
“We also work closely with the St. Lucie County Economic
Development Council and the college to see what’s on the
horizon and in demand on the Treasure Coast (in terms of
new technologies and employers’ manpower needs) over the
next three to five years,” Gent said.
St. Lucie County Schools Chief Academic Officer Helen
Wild spoke of collaboration with the college in teacher training.
She noted the college offers clinical education training
that allows experienced teachers to become mentors to
younger educators.
The college also offers accelerated training for careerchanging
new teachers, Wild said, and offers classes for
teacher recertification, which is required every five years.
SKY’S THE LIMIT
Simon Caldecott, president and chief executive officer of
Piper Aircraft in Vero Beach, is a big advocate for Indian
River State College.
“When I first came here 10 years ago, we needed more
trained sheet metal and machine shop employees,’’ he said.
“It’s very important for a manufacturer like us to have good
access to vocational education. It’s been a real good relationship
with the college. We’ve stepped up our training in recent
years with their help. As a former apprentice myself, I’m a
big advocate for apprenticeship programs.
“Working with Casey Lunceford, the provost of the Mueller
Center in Vero Beach, we’ve put together an apprenticeship
program that we first rolled out last year. Our first 10-person
intake was last August and offered sheet metal training. We
have another intake scheduled for this August and I’m pretty >>
Sophisticated learning environments offer IRSC students authentic training in more than 20 healthcare disciplines.