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