Poudre P-TECH Visits RLE Technologies
P-TECH (Pathway in Technology Early College High School) schools have seen success in Colorado since the program was first introduced in 2015. In a P-TECH school, students gain relevant work experience while they earn both a high school diploma and a tuition-free associate degree.
Fort Collins’s Poudre High School was recently certified as a P-TECH school. Poudre’s Principal, Kathy Mackay, recognizes, “For some kids, the four-year degree is not essential. If we can give them an alternative, where they are still getting that postsecondary education and potential certification within an industry… we just think that having those options for kids is important.”
RLE had the wonderful opportunity to host Poudre’s P-TECH students in our facility. We provided a facility tour and direct work experience in a small group setting. Together we looked at a PCB with errors under a scope, evaluated wireless sensors, showed process improvement. In addition cut and shrink wrapped our patented RLE sensing cable. RLE employees were impressed as the students engaged with RLE’s products and asked great follow-up questions.
Josh Weissman, who serves as the P-TECH program manager says, “Our education community for decades has measured success by how many bodies we’ve stuck in a university, and that’s certainly a great program but it’s not for everybody.” Weissman adds, “A manufacturing program can be a better fit for some students.”
We enjoyed hosting the P-TECH students and look forward to introducing more high school students to opportunities in manufacturing. As a local manufacturer, we understand all too well the importance of local manufacturing and the impact it has locally on our community as well as on a global scale. P-TECH is a great program for our community, and we wish the program and it’s students continued success.
Source: https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2021/02/09/poudre-high-school-becomes-poudre-school-districts-first-p-tech/4438183001/
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