Bridges.com Offers Tools to Help Students Succeed

Have you ever wanted to be a circus performer or how about a park ranger? Information about all of these careers and more is available at www.bridges.com. There are over 20,000 job choices that students may not be aware of and bridges covers them all by using current research and student relevant data. The website is very user friendly and it allows users to complete fun quizzes to match your interests and skills with a career. You can also complete research on a career you are already interested in pursuing.

The up-to-date information allows you to research the current career paths and what kind of education and experience you will need to get these careers. Check with your high school counselor to see if your school has a Bridges account and get a password or you can sign up for a free trial account by following this link.

Global EDGE Recent Andy Masters Presentation

A recent presentation and discussion by national author and speaker Andy Masters was hosted by the Global EDGE Tech Prep Consortium and Collin College at the Spring Creek Campus Conference Center. Masters provided encouraging words and advice to more than 100 students. His message centered on succeeding in your collegiate career and determining the personal and career qualities that will allow you to have “your best” future. Students participated in an engaging dialogue and complete an activity, “The Four Boxes”, to evaluate how to utilize their daily time to better pursue their future goals. Masters presented his personal life story of growing from an uneventful high school career to being ultimately driven to a fully engaged and directed collegiate life.

Additionally, Masters presented to Collin College faculty, staff and surrounding Collin County staff and teachers later that afternoon. Masters provided an inspirational talk on student success and retention. He encouraged the more than 30 attendees to 1. have and show passion for each student, 2. use humor in lectures and presentations, and 3. employ current events, technology and popular celebrities to connect with and engage students.

Both of the presentations were well received and the provided information was timely and appropriate. Attendees of both workshops were provided with a free autographed copy of his book “37 Keys to College Success”. More information about Andy Masters can be found at http://www.life-after-college.com/

For more information about the Global EDGE Tech Prep Consortium, visit www.ccccd.edu/globalEDGE or contact by phone at (972) 548-6723.

Resources for College Success

The Global EDGE Tech Prep Consortium presents
37 Keys to College Success
October 20, 2008 9:00 – 10:00 am
at the
Spring Creek Campus Conference Center

This FREE event is open to all students. Author Andy Masters presents an inspirational and motivational talk on the 37 keys to College Success. He will use humor, pop culture references, technology, and spirited career examples from successful young people in this interactive discussion. To insure a seat, please call the Global EDGE at 972-548-6723 or e-mail acaffery@ccccd.edu by October 15, 2008.

Andy Masters is a national Author/Speaker who has written 4 books and earned 4 degrees. Andy’s books “37 Keys to College Success: Balancing Student Life and Academics,” and Life After College: What to Expect and How to Succeed in Your Career” include tremendous advice for students while also providing great resources for faculty and staff.

Masters says “there are so many important things that can help students get ahead, such as networking, time management, strategic career planning, etc... But probably the most important things I tell them are what to AVOID, because what they don’t know CAN hurt them. A recent Harvard University study found that for every firing due to failure to perform, there are two firings due to personality conflicts and communication issues. In my programs, I discuss office politics, professionalism, ethics, drugs and alcohol in the workplace, and even the dangers of dating in the office and sexual harassment. It’s imperative that young professionals understand what the rules of the game are, and abide by those rules, so they don’t ruin their career before it even begins.”

Andy will also present a motivational talk on engaging and inspiring students for high school teachers, counselors, college advisors and instructors. October 20, 2008 1:00 – 2:30 pm at the Spring Creek Campus Conference Center. RSVP by Oct. 15th.

Six-year Plans Released

The Global EDGE Tech Prep Consortium has just release six-year plans for the 2008-2009 school year. These course outlines detail what Tech Prep classes are offered at your high school and how they fit into the big picture of your education plan. They show what college level course the Tech Prep class will translate to at Collin College and what other classes you will need to take in order to complete your associate’s degree requirements. Check out the six-year plans for your school by going to the what’s offered at my school page and selecting the link to each program area.

Looking Towards Your Future-Preparing for the Real World

Backpacks and textbooks, old friends and new, back-to-school is a great time to set new goals and look towards your future. High school is a crucial time of your life and the decisions you make now will carry over into your adult life. It’s a competitive world, but with the right training and education, you can become part of tomorrow’s technology-based economy. The Global EDGE Tech Prep Consortium at Collin College can help point you in the right direction.

Many jobs today require training beyond high school. Business and industry in the North Texas region need employees with education in technical areas. Technical programs at Collin College can train students for a rewarding career with a good starting salary. For many students, two-year programs often offer something far more important than status: employment with only two years of college. Additionally, students who plan to receive an advanced degree can benefit from earning an associates degree first and gaining valuable work experience in their desired field. See the Global EDGE webpage to see which Tech Prep programs your school offers. Get started now on your road to the future.

Allen High School Tech Prep Student Receives Scholarship to Pursue Culinary Arts

One recent Allen High School graduate will get a chance to pursuer her dream career as a Pastry Chef at Collin College.

Ashley Sears of Allen recently received a $5,000 scholarship from the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association to continue her education. She plans to begin classes this fall in the Collin College Culinary Arts program. Sears studied culinary arts in specialized Tech Prep classes while in high school and can now transfer those credits to Collin.

“The Tech Prep classes I took were great, they gave me a new passion for cooking and a great start for college,” said Sears. One of Sears’s most memorable times during the class was when teacher Dan Reinhard had the class make chicken piccata. “He taught us to make it with the recipe, and then the next day we had to make the same dish without a recipe,” she said, “It was a great lesson.”

Tech Prep courses give high school students marketable skills and a chance to explore career interests. Business and industry in the North Texas region need employees with education in technical areas and these courses are designed to begin that education. Tech Prep career pathways include: Biotechnology, Child Development, Computer-Aided Drafting & Design, Computer Information Systems, Computer Networking Technology (Cisco), Convergence Technology, Criminal Justice, E-business Media, Electronic Technology and Electronic Engineering Technology, Hospitality and Food Service Management, Information Systems Cybersecurity, Interior and Architectural Design, Marketing and Office Systems Technology.

College Tech Prep classes are funded with a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to the Global EDGE with funds provided by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1998. Tech Prep does not discriminate based on sex, race, color, national origin or disability.

To learn more about what classes are available visit the Programs page at http://www.ccccd.edu/globaledge/ .

Collin College-Texas A&M-Commerce Partnership

Collin College and Texas A&M University-Commerce have partnered to assist students in completing an Applied Arts & Sciences (BAAS) degree. According to Texas A&M University-Commerce, “The Arts & Sciences degree is a highly flexible degree that will enhance many career paths.”

Within the plan, Tech Prep students can transfer their eligible credits and go on to complete an associates at Collin, then transfer to A&M-Commerce. Up to 85 semester hours may be transferred, leaving only 36 semester hours from A&M-Commerce to receive a BAAS degree. Texas A&M University-Commerce provides instruction both on-campus and through distance education. For more information and to view specific degree guides see, http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/CBT/baas/degree/Colindegreeguide.asp

Middle School Students Hit the Road with the Global EDGE Careers on Wheels

Stick shifts and safety belts. Steering wheels and four tires on the road. These are the forces that drive various kinds of careers in our community and around the globe. A recent event called Careers on Wheels or C.O.W. day hosted by the Global EDGE Tech Prep Consortium and Collin College allowed local middle school students a chance to see some of these vehicles up close and personal. This year’s C.O.W day was held at the Collin County Community College Spring Creek Creak campus on May 16.

The event included 17 business and community organizations visited by over 500 local middle school students. and included 17 business and community organizations visited by over 500 local middle school students. Some of the displays and interactive exhibits were presented by the Collin County Hobby Beekeepers, City of Plano, C-Cart, 100.3 Jack FM, Equine Express North Texas Inc., Plano Fire Department, Summit Helicopters, Collin College Police Department, Collin College B.I.E.T. , Plano Police Department, U.S. Postal Service, Collin County Animal Services, Best Buys Geek Squad Collin County Sheriffs Department and Lifetouch Sports and Special Events.

Students had a chance to see, touch and climb inside vehicles such as an extended fire and rescue truck, a modified Raytheon Hummer, a mail truck and much more. They also learned about what kind of post-high school education and/or training is required for carriers in these fields.

Tina Kelman, a teacher from Faubion Middle School in Mckinney said the event had “very useful information, my students were able to see things they had never seen before.”

Requesting Tech Prep Credits

CHEERLEADER FOR US MANUFACTURERS

April 7, 2008
WILLIAM ARMBRUSTER
Host of Travel Channel program blames schools and Hollywood for poor image of blue-collar workers The average American factory worker is 52 years old. That’s a scary thought. And it’s part of the reason why actor John Ratzenberger is on a crusade to promote U.S. manufacturing.Ratzenberger, best known for his role as Cliff Clavin, the postal worker in the TV sitcom “Cheers,” is the host of the Travel Channel’s program “John Ratzenberger’s Made in America.” The show, which spotlights U.S. manufacturers, entered its fifth season on April 2. It airs Wednesday evenings at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times. The May 14 episode will spotlight Bedford Park, Ill.-based Hoist Liftruck, a manufacturer of forklift trucks. “We’re literally running out of factory workers. I know a fellow in Chicago who could put 200 welders to work tomorrow, but he can’t find them,” Ratzenberger said in an interview with Shipping Digest. “I’ve talked to company heads who had to turn down big orders because they can’t find enough people with the requisite skills,” he added.Ratzenberger blames the school systems and the media for the poor perception of manufacturing and the paucity of young people attracted to factory work. “In the last 20 to 30 years, we’ve convinced kids that they have to go to college. A lot of kids don’t want to,” he said. Nonetheless, schools discourage students from considering blue-collar professions, and many, including the Los Angeles school system, have dropped shop courses, he said. This contributes to high dropout rates, he said.“What we’ve done as a culture, and certainly Hollywood is complicit, is we’ve denigrated anyone who works with their hands. We depict carpenters, bricklayers and welders as being dirty and stupid,” Ratzenberger said. “That’s always gone against the reality I grew up with. People who work with their hands are not stupid. You have to be highly skilled, dedicated and proud of what you do.”He recalls visiting one high school class and asking the students how many of them planned to go to college. All but one raised their hands. When he asked that student what he planned to do for a living, the student replied that he wanted to become an auto mechanic. The other students all laughed. Ratzenberger said he told them they would end up with big loans and waiting tables after graduating from college, while the auto mechanic would be fixing their cars and making a lot of money.“I would love to speak to an association of school guidance counselors,” he said. Many schools are not eager to have him visit because they don’t want a celebrity coming around and asking questions that could prove embarrassing if they were picked up in the local media, he said. Because the schools have failed to teach fundamental skills, many companies have to spend their own money to teach simple things such as how to use a ruler to measure 5/16ths of an inch, Ratzenberger said. Hank Cox, the National Association of Manufacturers’ vice president for communications, said the skills gap is the one issue that always comes up whenever he speaks to manufacturers’ groups around the country. “Young people coming out of high school today are simply unqualified to work in modern manufacturing. Our schools are pathetic,” he said. Noting that the NAM invited Ratzenberger speak at its National Manufacturing Week conference several years ago, Cox said, “We love his TV show and appreciate his commitment to manufacturing.” But, Cox added, “sometimes he sounds like he’s advocating protectionism, which makes us a bit nervous.” Concerned that young people spend too much time playing video games and not enough time doing things with their hands, Ratzenberger co-founded the Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs Foundation. Its goal is to introduce children to the joys of tinkering. “Little hands build big dreams. Give children tools and watch them build America,” the foundation states.Its Web site — www.nutsandboltsfoundation.org — includes an essay by Ratzenberger. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and all great inventors, he writes, “shared one thing in common: As children, they had all been inveterate tinkerers. They fiddled with things, took them apart, put them back together, wondered how everything fit together — and tried to make something new out of what they’d learn by doing.” The actor expressed his concerns in a meeting with members of the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus, co-chaired by Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Ill., and Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio. He told them the U.S. will face “an industrial tsunami in six to 10 years” because of the aging of factory workers and the shortage of talented young people entering the work force. Ratzenberger said he has been asked to run for Congress three or four times. “I keep saying ‘no’ because I figure I can get more done privately. With the support of factory owners and unions, I figure we can put a coalition together that would show people the value of going into trades,” he said.Ratzenberger, who co-authored the book “We’ve Got It Made in America,” a collection of essays, grew up in the blue-collar city of Bridgeport, Conn., which he describes as “the jewel in the crown of the industrial Northeast.” Many of the factories he visits now still use machines produced in his old hometown, he said. Besides the TV show and his crusade to promote manufacturing, Ratzenberger is active in the movie business. His voice can he heard in every animated Pixar film, including “Toy Story” and “Ratatouille,” and he has the lead role in a new film called “The Village Barbershop,” in which he plays a small-town barber. The film shared the prize for best feature film at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Diego last month. Ratzenberger said the producers are looking for a distributor so the film can be shown in theaters nationwide.