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Ken Sealy, Chambers County School District’s Career Technical Education director, presented to the Chambers County School Board Wednesday about career tech’s programs and accomplishments over the past couple of years.

Sealey’s presentation aligned with February being Career Technical Education Month.

“We’re seeing a lot of resurgence and interest once again in career technical education as we come out of everything that we’ve been in,” Sealy said. “The current nominee for the Secretary of Education [Miguel Cardona] is a career-tech student. We have enjoyed the support of this board as long as I have been here.”

Sealy’s presentation was brief, but he provided the school board with a brief rundown of the 11 programs Inspire Academy offers students in Chambers County.

The 11 programs that CCSD’s career technical education offers range from culinary arts, cosmetology, business and finance, and computer and health science, just to name a few.

“We have great programs. Our teachers are all certified. They are all business and industry certified,” Sealy said. “Our students are involved in our programs. All of our programs are aligned with workforce needs. Do we have everything I want? No. Do we have everything that is available in Chambers County? No. But, what we do have lends itself well to what is out there for our students to be able to thrive once they leave high school or college.”

According to Sealy, about 80 percent of CCSD’s eighth through twelfth graders take at least one course at Inspire Academy. The state average for career technical education is 70 percent.

During the 2018-19 school year, which is the most recent data the federal government has provided, 133 students graduated from Valley or LaFayette High School with a career tech certification.

Inspire Academy’s placement rate, which is what the students do after leaving high school — whether it is college, military or infield job placement — was 89.5 percent.