High school students prepare for college, careers with CTE courses

Courses offered at Federal Way high schools help students earn free college credit and industry credentials.

By Mirror Staff • January 31, 2022 2:40 pm

Federal Way Public Schools is working to ensure every graduate is ready for college, their future careers and other post-secondary experiences through Career and Technical Education (CTE) coursework.

The coursework is part of five personalized career pathways offered at all four comprehensive high schools in the Federal Way district.

The CTE pathways include a sequence of two or more specialized CTE courses aligned to the district’s strategic plan, High School and Beyond Plan learning benchmarks, and current industry demands, according to the district.

The focused pathways include:

• Arts and Communication

• Business and Marketing

• Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology

• Health Sciences and Agricultural Sciences

• Human Services

Last school year, 2,445 Federal Way students earned passing grades by completing one or more CTE courses. Through eligible courses, high school students are able to reduce post-secondary tuition costs by earning to earn dual credit or industry-recognized professional credentials, certificates or degrees.

There are over 45 college-level courses to select from, including automotive technology, AP computer science principles, sports medicine, teacher academy, business law, graphic design and more.

In the 2021-22 school year, nearly 3,000 high schoolers are enrolled in dual credit courses and are earning college credits from local colleges.

FWPS also offers specialized CTE programs within pathways. Available CTE options include INCubatoredu for emerging entrepreneurs and Project Lead the Way pre-engineering program, which includes recently added courses such as biomedical innovation, aerospace engineering, STEM in Art and more.

Through the new Pre-Apprenticeship Program, students can develop trade skills and earn OSHA 10, Forklift Operation and Flagger certifications, with preferred entry into all trades.

“I chose BioMed because in the future I plan on doing a medical career, and I thought BioMed would be a good start for me,” said Nicole, a freshman at Decatur High School who is currently enrolled in Principals of Biomedical Science. “I think it’s going to help me because it’s going to give me a head start for what I’m going to learn in college for my future career.”

With courses also offered at the middle school level that align to high school pathways, CTE courses provide a focused approach to learning and promote academic rigor, real-life application and career readiness.

For more information about CTE courses and a list of courses offering dual credit and/or industry certifications, visit www.fwps.org/CourseCatalog.