News Photo by Reagan Voetberg On Friday, students in the engineering and robotics lab at Alpena High School sit at a table before the end-of-the-day dismissal.

ALPENA — Throughout the month of February, Alpena Public Schools celebrated Career and Technical Education Month.

CTE month is a public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country, according to the Michigan Department of Education’s website.

Alpena High School offers 11 CTE programs. Those programs include agriscience, construction technology, digital media, business management, marketing, woodworking, healthcare occupations, teacher academy, welding, automotive technology, and engineering and robotics technologies.

The CTE programs are all hands-on. In the woodworking classroom, students have been making cornhole boards. In the marketing program, students get the opportunity to manage the Campus Closet, which sells Alpena Wildcats gear and snacks.

CTE Interim Director of Operations Ron Worth said that the number of students enrolling in CTE classes has remained relatively stable over the last few years, with around 700 student enrollments per year. Students taking two different CTE courses would be counted twice in that figure.

Hillman Community Schools, Atlanta Community Schools, and Alcona Community Schools also enroll students in the CTE programs at AHS. Roughly 40 to 50 students come from those three districts.

Worth said that he could not pinpoint one program that is the most popular.

“There’s kind of this wave that goes, and sometimes it’s lower in one year,” he said.

Worth mentioned that the welding program has always been strong. Meanwhile, the healthcare occupations program is just getting started, so the enrollment numbers are smaller at the moment.

“We have a huge manufacturing sector here in Northern Michigan, so it would make sense that there would be a lot of people wanting to get their welding certifications,” he said.

All CTE programs at the high school offer industry-recognized certifications and credentials, according to the APS Career Guide. CTE students are also required to join a leadership activity or career and technical education student organization. Agriscience students, for instance, are involved in the Alpena Future Farmers of America chapter.

CTE month has been packed with activities at the high school. On Wednesday, eighth graders from Thunder Bay Junior High came to the Wildcat Den in the high school to learn about the CTE programs. CTE students set up tables displaying their programs’ offerings.

On Friday, sixth and seventh graders visited the CTE programs.

On Monday night at the APS Board of Education meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m., Worth will be giving a presentation promoting CTE programs.

Students from PIVOT, a program that provides an alternative for teens at risk of residential placement because of their involvement with the court system, will also be touring and learning about the various CTE offerings in the coming days.

On Tuesday, the high school will be hosting the CTE and Industry Expo from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be 25 industry professionals and college personnel available for students to talk to and learn about future career options.

Next Friday, local government and community officials will be touring the CTE facilities.

Going into March, Hillman, Atlanta, and Alcona will be sending their students to tour the facilities and learn about CTE programs.

Further into the semester, AHS CTE holds a special signing day for students who choose to continue their education at Alpena Community College.

Additionally, CTE has invited fifth graders from the APS elementary schools to learn about CTE courses.

“It’s never too early, never too late, to start thinking about a career choice,” Worth said.

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.