A series of six new articulation agreements with Penn State DuBois will help Ridgway Area High School students make a smoother transition to postsecondary education and lucrative technical careers.
The new agreements are part of the Tech Prep program. Tech Prep is an education-to-career program that helps students progress from high school to postsecondary education or training and then the work force. Penn State DuBois has more than 25 agreements in place involving 13 school districts in northcentral Pennsylvania.
"Tech Prep works with high schools to offer students the highly skilled training they need for good-paying technical jobs available in their local area," explained Anita McDonald, campus executive officer at Penn State DuBois. "Tech Prep has been a successful link among regional schools, higher education and career opportunities. It is one more example of the campus commitment to successful work-force development in our area."
Participating with McDonald in the signing ceremony for the series of agreements were Gary Elder, Ridgway school superintendent; Bill Connelly, principal at the Ridgway high school; and Diane Gigliotti-Spratt, Tech Prep program coordinator at the campus. The six articulation agreements that were signed included three in information sciences and technology (networking option, business option and baccalaureate option) and three more in business administration (accounting option, marketing option and management option).
With the agreements in place, Ridgway students who successfully complete the required curriculum in high school are guaranteed admission to the information sciences and technology program or business administration associate-degree programs offered at Penn State DuBois. Technical students in the Ridgway school system can forecast and attain their career goals through a concise prescribed sequence of courses.
The agreements are the culmination of work that required the district to redesign and upgrade its technical curriculum so students have the skills and knowledge to make a seamless transition from high school to University-level courses.
Also on hand on the day of the signing was Jason Long, program leader at the campus for the Information Sciences and Technology (IST) program. After the signing, Long gave the campus guests a tour of the IST labs at Penn State DuBois and had them participate in a demonstration of online network design in the IST network lab.
For more information about the Tech Prep program, contact Diane Gigliotti-Spratt at (814) 375-4792.