Hands-on training programs thriving in Stanislaus schools

Today we're letting pictures make our point: High school students around Stanislaus County don't just have their noses in books or computer monitors. They're getting hands-on learning experiences in welding shops, hospitals, green houses, industrial labs and a surprising number of other settings.

Vocational education is far from dead; in fact, it is alive and well. These days it operates under a variety of labels — career technical education (CTE), regional occupation programs (ROP) and career academies, among them — and includes such courses as health occupations, robotics, child development, banking, transportation and information technology.

The photos we shot this week at Hughson and Oakdale high schools are just a small sampling of what's going in Stanislaus County, where more than 8,000 high school students are in ROP programs.

Modesto City Schools has about 2,000 students in ROP classes and more than 5,000 in other school-to-career programs, such as the ag business pathway at Johansen and the business entrepreneurship pathway at Beyer.

The Stanislaus County Office of Education prepared a 15-minute video, "Success Starts Here," to highlight the spectrum of programs (available online at is.gd/4UtC2).

The presentation includes some surprising statistics: For example, 25 percent of today's Ceres police force came through the Ceres High ROP program in criminal justice, and 600 of the 1,400 students at Central Valley High School are enrolled in ag classes.

Also featured in the video is Tyler Rose, who became a nationally certified emergency medical technician while still at Oakdale High School. Rose had long been considering a medical career, an interest that was nurtured through Oakdale's ROP classes. He graduated in June and now works as an EMT for Escalon Ambulance and is planning a career as a nurse anesthetist.

Business support is a critical part of various vocational programs. Oakdale ROP teacher Emmalene Rippe sees — and appreciates — the support from physicians, pharmacists, veterinarians, Oak Valley Hospital and other medical providers who welcome students into their facilities four days a week for much of the school year.

Rippe estimates that 35 percent to 40 percent of the ROP participants go on to medical-related jobs. But all of the students become CPR certified and all learn to become better medical consumers.

Business leaders are increasingly supportive of these programs because across the board they teach teamwork, safety and other skills that employers want and need. Just as important, they help students stay interested in learning on through graduation and beyond.

With so much gloom in our region these days — including the high unemployment rate — we wanted to put the spotlight on something positive. And the state of vocational ed in our county definitely is a bright spot. As school districts face more tough budget decisions in the next couple of years, it's essential that they not only preserve but continue to expand these critical career-technical education programs.