Career & Technical Education (CTE)

Programs

CTE Supervisor

Bryan Schuerman

Phone: (248)-451-7375

Email Bryan Schuerman

Career Pathways Course Guide

NAF Future Ready Michigan

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Pontiac School District is proud to offer extensive Career Pathway opportunities for our students within the Career and Technical Education Department. To prepare our students for the workforce, we teach them the soft skills that employers seek. In addition, we work directly with NAF to ensure our students get curricula that are current and provide them with work-based learning experiences. As a result, our students will graduate with career options ahead of their peers as they pursue their long-term career goals. Some of the newest pathways we have added are the Health Sciences, Business & Finance and the Hospitality & Tourism Pathways. Coming soon we will be adding an E-Sports pathway as well!

Additionally, we also offer Dual Enrollment at Oakland University and Oakland Community College for students to get a jump start on earning college credits while also completing high school courses.

For students who would like to explore non-obligatory exposure to the U.S. Army's core values and leadership skills, we offer Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (J.R.O.T.C.).

Programs

Health Sciences

The Health Sciences Program in the Pontiac School District will prepare students for career fields in the medical industry, nursing, long and short term care, phlebotomy, and other areas within the health sciences field. This program which was developed over 10 years ago is in partnership with local hospital chains and business entities within Oakland County. Students will participate in a wide-variety of classroom experiences, lab experiences, and in the field clinical practicum education while completing this one year program. When completed, students will be able to take the state of Michigan LARA exam for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) and/or Patient Care Technician (PCT). This program aligns with the Michigan Department of Education, Career and Technical Education CIP Code, 51.0000.

CNA Program
PCT Program

CNA Program

The Certified Nursing Assistant program provides students with the entry-level knowledge and clinical skills necessary to enter the healthcare field as a Certified Nursing Assistant in hospitals, sub-acute, and rehabilitation care settings. As a vital member of the healthcare team, they provide direct patient care such as, but not limited to taking vitals, specimen collection and comfort measures. Excellent preparation for entry into any nursing program, with salary ranges for CNA's around $14.00-$18.00 per hour. Students must complete 75 hours to successfully complete this program. The Pontiac School District has partnered with Covenant Academy to provide this unique opportunity.

Admission Requirements:

2.5 and above
On track to graduate
CNA/PCT Program Application
Criminal background check - Provided by PSD
Health Screening, including TB skin test - Provided by PSD
Physical/Drug Testing - Provided by PSD

PCT Program

The Patient Care Technician Program provides students with the entry-level knowledge and clinical skills necessary to enter the healthcare field as Patient Care Technicians in hospitals, sub-acute, and rehabilitation care settings. Patient Care Technicians are integral members of the healthcare team and work with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to oversee and monitor patients. As a vital member of the healthcare team, they provide direct patient care such as, but not limited to taking vital signs, specimen collection and comfort measures. In addition, Patient Care Technicians are trained in phlebotomy and electrocardiography. Excellent preparation for entry into any nursing program, with salary ranges for PCT's around $14.00-$16.00 per hour. Students must complete 411 hours to successfully complete this program.

Admission Requirements:

2.5 and above
On track to graduate
CNA/PCT Program Application
Criminal background check - Provided by PSD
Health Screening, including TB skin test - Provided by PSD
Physical/Drug Testing - Provided by PSD

Engineering Technology

The Engineering Technology Program in the Pontiac School District will prepare students for one of the most in demand fields with Oakland County and Southeastern Michigan, engineering and manufacturing. Students in this program will be able to specialize in one of three sub-programs within Engineering and Manufacturing:

Additive Manufacturing
Industrial Manufacturing
CAD/CAM Design

Students will have the ability to use hands-on technology, with the latest industry, standard practices, in addition to classroom experiences, work- based learning and other educational strategies to complete the Engineering Program. Oakland Schools has identified this Engineering and Manufacturing as one of the areas to have the strongest job growth within the next 10 years, preparing students that participate in this program for employment with industry recognize credentials upon graduation.

Education General

The Education General-Teacher Cadet program in the Pontiac School District is a new program launched at the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic school year with a focus in early childhood education. Students completing this program will complete class experiences and assignments, along with practicum field, based experience to prepare themselves for a career in early childhood education, whether it be in a GRSP, or in a pre-school or Kindergarten school setting. Students have a hands-on focus in this program preparing them for what they will expect in working with children ages birth to six years old.

The Education General-Teacher Cadet Program is in partnership with Oakland University and the early childhood education program in the College of Education and Human Services. Students that complete this program will have the opportunity to earn between 12 and 18 college credits, while also receiving high school credit for courses completed in this program. This program is a direct funnel into Oakland University’s Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education program (students must meet Oakland University admission requirements). This is the first concurrent enrollment program where students are receiving college credit in addition to high school credit at the same time in the Pontiac School District.

JROTC

The JROTC program in the Pontiac School District is one of the founding programs within the Career and Technical Education Department.

Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) is a leadership development program based in the values and practices of the four branches of the United States military. The program combines classroom experiences with service to students' schools and communities. Available in high schools and postsecondary institutions throughout the state, JROTC programs teach students the values of leadership, teamwork and self-discipline.

The mission of the JROTC program nationally is "to motivate young people to be better citizens." In addition to professional and personal development, participation in a JROTC program can support students' pathway to graduation.

Skills taught in JROTC programs are valuable for all students, not just those interested in joining the military in the future. For students who are interested in careers in the military, it provides relevant experience that can better prepare them for and connect them to their future goals.

Public Safety

The Public Safety/Protective Services program in the Pontiac School District will prepare students for a career in public service, making a difference in the lives of people in our community. This program consists of the Firefighter Certificate of Achievement Program in partnership with Oakland Community College.

The Pontiac High School/Oakland Community College Firefighter Certificate of Achievement Program is a 100% concurrent enrollment program and will allow students to get the necessary training to be able to take the required state examinations to become a certified firefighter and gain employment in the fire industry. Employment of firefighters is projected to grow 7% through 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations, but the need for fire/emergency services personnel will always be a high-need industry.

Upon completion of the program, students will be ready to take the Firefighter I and II state licensure exam, of which OCC has an 88% pass rate. After passing the state exam, students can then choose to begin an EMT program or directly seek employment as some agencies may sponsor EMT/Medic Training. This is a great opportunity to enter into a rewarding career shortly after high school graduation without accruing debt along the way.

Employment of firefighters is projected to grow 7% through 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Business & Finance

The Business & Finance Pathway connects high school students with the world of financial services, offering a curriculum that covers entrepreneurship, banking and credit, financial planning, international finance, securities, insurance, accounting, and economics, among other topics.

The Business & Finance curriculum is vetted by partners in the financial services and business sectors and emphasizes literacy and project-based learning to engage students. Students begin with Business Communication and Technology to gain a broad understanding of the core concepts needed in this field. Teachers also have access to NFTE’s entrepreneurship curriculum and Virtual Enterprises International (VEI). Graduates benefit from learning the critical concepts of business management, accounting, and ethics. NAF students will have completed at least four NAF courses by graduation

Marketing

The Marketing Program in the Pontiac School District will give students a hands-on experience inside the classroom, preparing them for careers in and/or related to the marketing field. This program prepares students to perform marketing and sales operations connected with the promotion of special products, including floristry, food, and home and office products. Includes instruction in principles of marketing research and advertising, promotional campaign organization, media relations, and applicable technical and administrative skills.

No matter what students do in their lives, it is essential to have strong business, leadership and marketing skills. In this program, designed for beginners to the advanced, students learn valuable leadership, entrepreneurship and marketing skills that will provide them with a successful foundation for any career, in addition to the knowledge necessary to manage and run their own business.

Aviation Aerospace

The Aviation/Aerospace Program in the Pontiac School District is a new program launched in the 2024-2025 Academic Year to prepare students for a career path whether they want to be self-employed, become a pilot, work an an aviation engineer, or more. This is a high-demand field with plenty of job opportunities.

According to Boeing's Pilot and Technician Outlook, the world will need over 600,000 new pilots and nearly 700,000 new technicians in the next 20 years. Schools and districts nationwide must prepare students for these high-paying, rewarding careers in aviation and aerospace.

In response, The Pontiac School District has partnered with the AOPA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association), the world's largest aviation community, created the AOPA Foundation High School Aviation STEM Curriculum, unlocking pathways to aviation careers for thousands of teens.

Information Technology

The Information Technology program in the Pontiac School District provides an overview of information technology and introduces students to the basics of hardware and software. Students examine hardware components including peripherals, connectors, and memory. Students explore common operating systems, software

applications, and programming languages. Students learn about types of networks and network topology, and they set up an email client/server connection. Students also consider contemporary issues such as security, privacy, and technological inequality. Finally, students explore career opportunities in IT.