Battle Creek Central Students Can Specialize With ‘Career Academies’

Students at Battle Creek Central High School will have opportunities to prepare for their post-education career with a new program.

The Battle Creek Public Schools announced that at their board meeting Monday they are creating Career Academies and have selected the pathways therein to help students get more motivated to learn. The Career Academies are a "high school experience...centered around small, interest-based learning communities" that are a "key component of the transformation of BCPS" that the district has undertaken in recent years.

The current class of Central High School Freshmen will be the first class to benefit from these Academies, and at the end of the freshman year they will make the decision on which career pathway they want to take; they'll begin the specialized pathway curriculum in 10th grade.

Della Uekert, Career Coach at Battle Creek Central High School, says that:

When students care about what they’re learning, they’re more motivated to work hard and to succeed. These pathways will help every Bearcat — no matter their passion — gain the tools they need to excel and the ability to make meaningful contributions to our community.

The Academies and their selected pathways are as follows:

Academy of Business, Engineering and Industrial Technology 

• Information Technology
• Finance
• Business
• Engineering & Skilled Trades (including CAD, Robotics, Machining, Aviation, Autotech, Power Equipment, Electricity & Electronics, Construction Tech, Welding, Collision & Repair, HVAC, and Pipefitting)

Academy of Health and Human Services

• Nursing
• Health Care
• Public Safety
• Education

These pathways and academies were chosen by a working group of more than 120 students, parents, teachers, local businesses, post-secondary institutions and other community members. They collaborated to make the decisions based on what students wanted and what jobs are growing in Battle Creek and beyond.