CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Students from Monongalia County Technical Education Center (MTEC) will showcase their work at Career Technical Education (CTE) Day on Friday, February 14, in Charleston.
MTEC Principal Greg Dausch said the students will be joined by several other programs in the state to advocate for CTE.
“We’re gonna be sending 50 students down to Charleston on Friday. They were invited to head to the Rotunda to represent CTE. There are going to be other schools all around the state that are gonna be showcasing all the wonderful things they’re doing,” he said on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”
CTE Day allows students to set up “interactive booths” to display their work to lawmakers, according to the West Virginia Department of Education website.
Students will also tour the Capitol building, Senate Chambers and House Chambers with local representatives, Dausch said.
According to Dausch, CTE is “on the rise” across the state, but specifically within MTEC’s program.
He said enrollment from all Monongalia County High Schools has increased since 2020, with Morgantown High School going from 150 students to 200 and University High School increasing from 80 to 120 students. Clay Battelle High School sent 30 students to the program this year.
“Students are becoming more interested in what the programs are that we have to offer, and I attest that to a number of different things … There’s an awful lot of demand for the skill set that these students can acquire while they’re here, and it’s just an engaging, fun learning environment,” Dausch said.
Dausch said he hopes the program continues to grow and his staff works to break down any barriers for students to explore everything MTEC has to offer.
“If a student is academically eligible and they want to be over here and learn these skills, we’re gonna find a way to make that happen. Of course, we’re looking forward to expanding our facilities so that we can serve more students,” he said.
Dausch said the MTEC programs push heavily for college and career readiness, and regardless of where students go after graduation, the skills they acquire will aid them for the rest of their lives.
An advisory council consisting of many Morgantown constituents and MTEC staff members helps to create opportunities for students during and after high school, such as mock interviews, internships, and job fairs.
“We have a number of seniors out in the workforce currently earning high school credit while they’re doing so. Sometimes the best education can be when you leave the education facility and go learn hands-on in the world,” Dausch said.
He said the experiences students gain through MTEC, specifically career readiness opportunities, set them apart from other students.
“The majority of employers that meet with our students even while they’re in high school that do the mock interviews that do actual internship interviews are always very pleased with how they perform because they’re here with us,” he said. “We have a number of individuals in this facility that we utilize to get these students trained for that.”