Licking Heights high schoolers are soaring to new heights of career preparation and accomplishment.

This month, the district received a $2.2 million Career Technical Education Equipment Grant from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Licking Heights was one of 56 school districts to receive this grant across the state of Ohio, and ranked in the top 20 districts for most money awarded.

This money will help renovate and transform vacant spaces in the high school into career laboratories and create pathways in fields like logistics and supply chain management; cybersecurity and software development; and arts and visual design.

“We have worked tirelessly over the last few school years to develop pathways for student success after high school,” says Tiffane Warren, 7-12 Curriculum Director for Licking Heights. “This includes providing students with the classroom and hands-on learning and work experience they need to succeed in the rapidly changing workforce. The Career Technical Education Equipment Grant will make our students competitive industry-leaders before they even graduate.”

There will also be pre-apprenticeship programs in healthcare, information technologies and business, and opportunities for students to earn the state’s Ohio Means Jobs Readiness Seal for graduation. The Life Skills program for students in the special education program will also be expanded, including the creation of an in-school coffee shop that students will manage for staff.

These new pathways will all be housed under the district’s New Heights Program, which will enhance student access to careers and college, expand course offerings and allow students to earn industry recognized credentials while still in high school.

“Our primary goal as educators is to provide our students with a pathway to a productive life and a strong future,” says Dr. Kevin S. Miller, Superintendent of Licking Heights. “The New Heights Program makes strong, stable, in-demand careers possible for students and virtually eliminates all barriers to accessing the necessary education and skills they need to succeed after high school. I am incredibly proud of our team for their hard work to earn this grant and develop CTE pathways for our students, and thankful to the state for their investment in our students.”

Currently, the district has an in-house State Tested Nursing Aide (STNA) career pathway with C-TEC. Students graduate with the credentials needed to start working as an STNA in a variety of healthcare settings. Each year, the district has about 30 students enrolled in the STNA program.

Students who completed the STNA program last year pursued everything from immediate employment in a nursing home to advanced training at medical school. The district also offers courses in-house in C-TEC’s Teaching Careers program and a selection of marketing classes.

“For five years now, our students have found good-paying jobs right out of high school or continued with their medical studies thanks to the STNA program,” Dr. Miller says. “Completing their STNA certifications while at Licking Heights gives students a competitive advantage both in the job market and in their education.”

While C-TEC is an invaluable partner for Licking Heights and LH students have thrived at C-TEC’s main campus in Newark, the campus is over 30 minutes away from Licking Heights. Sometimes, students who want to pursue career and technical education lack the necessary transportation to get there.

Bringing C-TEC programs into Licking Heights High School and implementing the New Heights Program will make career and tech education free and accessible to students starting their freshman year.

“We are proud of our continued partnership with C-TEC and thankful for their flexibility in making career and technical education possible for our students,” says Tom Holdren, Assistant Superintendent at Licking Heights. “This grant will help us take our own CTE training one step further while also enriching our existing in-house programs with C-TEC.”