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Facts About Tech Prep
What is Tech Prep?
Tech Prep is a "High School-Plus" program that prepares
students for high skill, high-wage careers. Each student has an
individual plan that blends rigorous academics with
career-technical courses.
Tech Prep is a progressive education program connection high
school stgudies to at least two years of postsecondary study in a
college, technical school or apprenticeship.
It builds strong academic foundations, equipping students with essential skills in mat, science, technology, and written and oral communication. In addition, it gives tudents the ability to solve problems, think critically and work well with others.
What Are the Benefits of Tech Prep?
The level of education and training needed for jobs today has
increased dramatically from previous decades. Most high-paying
careers today require education beyond high school.
Tech Prep gives students a solid foundation for college or other
postsecondary education. It gives students choices they may not
have known were available. It gives them access to education,
skills and jobs.
Tech Prep gives students a career focus for their education.
Students no longer drift through school without clear goals or
without any real vision of their future. Students can set their
sights on a career, discover what it takes to get there and begin
preparing for a successful future.
The transition from high school to postsecondary education is
smoother because of the sequential progression of course work
developed cooperatively by schools and employers. These career
pathways also give students the opportunity to earn college credits
while in high school, thereby saving tuition dollars and completing
career requirements sooner.
Tech Prep generates higher graduation rates. 93 percent of Tech Prep Students graduate from high school compared to an 82 percent graduation rate for all students.
Workplace learning available through Tech Prep helps students see how their academic subjects are actually used in the work world and why they are important to future success.
Why Was Tech Prep Created?
In the 1980s, studies evaluating our nationwide education system
found that students were not acquiring the academic knowledge and
skills needed to get good jobs. The needs of the workplace have
changed dramatically in the past decades. In 1950, at the height of
the Industrial Age, 60 percent of the jobs need only unskilled
labor. Just 20 percent required skilled labor. Today those numbers
are reversed. There are increasing needs for skilled labor while
the number of jobs for persons with minimal skills continues to
decline.
Federal legislation in 1990 created Tech Prep to help meet the needs of both students and employers in the rapidly changing economy. It creates a better-prepared work force for our high-tech global economy.
Who Should Be Interested in Tech Prep?
Tech Prep encompasses a wide range of high tech careers-a list
that continues to grow as new jobs emerge. It includes basic career
areas such as:
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Arts and Communications
Business and Administration
Health Care
Human and Family Services
Industrial and Engineering Technology
How Many Students Currently Participate in Tech Prep?
Each year there are approximately 80,000 Illinois high school
students involved in Tech Prep. These numbers continue to grow as
more students learn about the availability and benefits of Tech
Prep.
How Do Students Sign Up for Tech Prep?
Illinois high schools offer guidance services to help students
make sound academic and career choices and to select appropriate
core courses and work-based learning experiences. Students can
learn more about Tech Prep and sign up for the program through
their guidance counselors.
