EDUCATION
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Trends In Education
out of poverty for residents who have heretofore been unable
to financially access workforce training programs. Job training
will lead to employment in a job market searching for a
skilled workforce and growth for local businesses with the
added benefit of financial stability for families.”
TOURING THE CAMPUS
Many youths from student organizations have toured the
TCTC campus since it opened. The hope is that one of the
courses will connect with a few students who will choose a
path to their future.
“When I decided to take the students from the Gifford
Youth Achievement Center to TCTC it was because I wanted
to provide them with an opportunity to explore other career
and technical programs,” says GYAC guidance counselor
Carrie Williams. “TCTC provided a behind-the-scenes view
of what each career offered, to give them the opportunity to
decide if this was a field in which they could see themselves
taking on as a career.”
On the tour, many of the students were surprised by the
sight of a very realistically staged hospital ward, which
included many human-looking patient mannequins. Others
were fascinated by the virtual reality welding program in the
construction and trade building, vying for a try at writing
their name in metal. What they thought would be another
boring school tour turned into a fun, eye-opening experience
to some achievable dreams.
All the training is very realistic, using top-of-the-line mannequins
and trade machinery used in real jobs, but none was
more real than in the phlebotomy classes where students
must learn to draw blood by using each other as patients.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
REFERRAL AGENCIES
CareerSource Research Coast: Indian River County –
772.494.2100
Indian River County Youth Connections (ages 16-24) –
772.342.6150 St. Lucie County – 772.461.6293
AARP Foundation Senior Community Service Employment
Program Indian River County – 321.956.1444
Vocational Rehabilitation Indian River County –
772.778.6348
EOC Reach Program Indian River County – 772.569.1030
Farmworkers Jobs & Educational Programs (IRSC)
Indian River County – 772.462.7916
Students first practice on a very realistic disembodied arm,
but after initial “sticks,” they must become used to working
on real people. Students are required to complete almost
double the sticks as in many other schools.
“Our courses have a higher passing rate for national certification
exams than other areas of the country,” says medical
assisting instructor Tracy Mitchell. “Our programs not only
fulfill a need for the community, but it fulfills it to a really
high level for a top-notch education.”
TCTC also works with many businesses to help its students
find jobs right after graduation, and that translates
into higher levels of employment, lower poverty levels and
brighter futures for the people in the area.
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