ExTEnDED LEArning OPTiOns
trY Out your
career options with
extended learning
onthe Job
experiences.
out
of the
Classroom
S
tudents who live near McAllen, Texas, can study precision
manufacturing techniques in high school. But they’re not just
sitting in a classroom. They can leave school during the day to
learn practical skills in a shop at a local college campus. And in the
summer, they can earn credit by working at a real job—and earn real
dollars for doing it.
These are the kind of opportunities that open up to you in
extended learning programs. “Extended learning” is a term covering
hands-On Learning
a variety of educational experiences that take place outside the
In South Texas, for instance, students from
traditional classroom.
the Mission Consolidated Independent
School District learn about precision
real-World Experience
manufacturing by taking coursework at
It could mean job shadowing, for
South Texas College (STC). This two-
instance, in which you follow and
year program prepares high school juniors and seniors for careers in
observe a worker in a field in which you’re
areas such as tool and die making, industrial maintenance, plastics
interested. You might shadow a welder
processing, and quality assurance.
on the shop floor, seeing exactly why
Students in the program learn to use machining equipment,
the specific skills and knowledge you’re
computerized mill and lathe machines, and drafting software, and
gaining are important, and how you’ll
take courses in machining mathematics and blueprint reading. They
use them.
get practical experience both in high school courses and at STC’s
You might find yourself leaving school
Technology Center, earning up to 39 hours of college credit at no
for half days to take classes and do lab
cost, and receive a precision manufacturing certificate upon high
work at a local community college,
school graduation.
and earn college credit while doing it.
The program was created with help from area manufacturers. “We
Or you could find an internship or an
got a lot of companies calling, saying that they needed employees for
apprenticeship, and work for a company
this area,” says Raul Ruiz, a project training specialist at STC. “The
while earning your diploma. Or it might
curriculum was designed by the manufacturing companies in the
be a combination of these things.
community.” Firms involved in the project include General Electric,
Black and Decker, and Panasonic.
In the summer, the program
THe Texas sTaTe TecHnIcal
really pays off for students. “We
college sYsTem offers several have a paid internship program for
tWO-YEar PrOgraMs
the students during the summer,”
Ruiz says. “We place them with a
THaT prepare sTudenTs for Texas-based
manufacturing company. They can
manufacTurIng careers.
earn as much as $1,400 for the six
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