The mission of White County High School is to create and maintain a secure and safe environment for student learning in all academic and career technical areas, which will assist students to meet all federal, state, and local standards as well as lead to fulfilling adult lives in a progressive and sophisticated world.
CTE does more than simply prepare students for careers, it provides students with an opportunity to develop specific academic, intellectual, technical, and 21st-century skills necessary to be successful in their career and in life. In pursuit of ensuring every student in Tennessee achieves this level of success, we begin with rigorous course standards which feed into intentionally designed programs of study. Students engage in industry-relevant content through general education integration and experiences such as career & technical student organizations (CTSO), early postsecondary opportunities (EPSO), work-based learning (WBL), and industry certification. Through these experiences, students are immersed with industry-standard content and technology, solve industry-based problems, meaningfully interact with industry professionals and use/produce industry-specific, informational texts. CTE gives students the necessary tools to be successful on the path to postsecondary success.
To view the State of Tennessee CTE Programs of Study, click here.
What is Work-based Learning?
Work-Based Learning: Career Practicum is a capstone course intended to provide students with opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge learned in previous CTE and general education courses within a professional work environment. This course allows students to earn high school credit for select models of work-based learning, which allow students to interact with industry professionals in order to extend and deepen classroom work and support the development of postsecondary and career readiness knowledge and skills.
Who can participate?
Any junior or senior student who is at least 16 years of age at the time they are enrolled in the course. Reliable transportation is required for each student participating in the Work Based Learning program at WCHS. Students must work with the Work Based Learning Coordinator and Career Coach to find appropriate job placement, related to their program of study, before the beginning of the Work-based Learning class. Students should obtain a job placement relative to their elective focus area to gain hands on experience and on-the-job training that can offer a smooth transition into their post secondary educational and workforce careers.
What are other course requirements?
Students must complete in-class coursework including journal entries throughout the semester, a Personalized Learning Plan, professional résumé, employment/employee evaluations, and other documents related to the students job placement. School attendance is a priority with Work-based Learning. Students must maintain at least a 90% attendance rate at school, and students must be passing each class in which they are enrolled. Students must obtain and keep a job placement during their Work-based Learning course to reinforce academic, technical and employability skills through hands on work experience.