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| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet Brittany Hanson of Presque Isle gives a thumbs up after taking a semi-truck for a spin during a field trip to the Caribou Regional Technology Center on March 7. |
By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — A semi-truck was spotted making concentric circles around the Caribou High School complex on Thursday at speeds rarely exceeding three miles per hour — the drivers were said to be extremely excited.
Like the students who were given hands-on, closely supervised experiences driving the big rig truck of the CDL (commercial drivers license) vocation program at the Caribou Regional Technology Center (CRTC), over 200 central Aroostook students took a tour of the tech center on March 7 to learn about the various vocational options available to expand their high school education.
Caribou High School students visited the tech center in the morning, with students from Presque Isle, Washburn, Fort Fairfield and Limestone following in the afternoon.
“Our purpose is to give all of the sophomores from Aroostook County a chance to look at what we have available so that they can make decisions prior to registration next year,” said Student Services Coordinator for the CRTC Tracy Corbin. The center only accepts students in grades 11 and 12.
The most popular courses at the CRTC are consistently CDL, health and medical sciences, large equipment and auto tech — which all historically are filled through an interview process due to a large number of applicants. This year, Corbin anticipates that two more vocations will be added to the interview list, as more and more students are showing interest in attending the criminal justice and culinary arts programs.
“It’s really a sign of the times,” Corbin explained. “Kids get that message now that they can come here while they’re in school and it’s more than just fun, it’s also going to lead to a career or, in most cases, it’s a stepping stone [for further education],” she added, emphasizing that studying a vocation at the tech center can help college-bound students obtain jobs that pay well to help pay for the cost of secondary education.
For example, Corbin explained that a college student studying to be an engineer can use the CNA certification obtained through vocational training to earn $10-$11 an hour in a high-demand field instead of earning minimum wage at a different job.
While the CRTC has vocations to help open doors for students in a variety of fields, the predominant stigma remains that students attend the tech center instead of attending college — a misconception CRTC Director Ralph Conroy is quick to correct.
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| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet Dylan Berkoski, left, gives a welding demonstration to a student touring the Caribou Regional Technology Center on March 7. |
“The majority of the students we have here go on to college,” he said.
Though many of the students do graduate with necessary skills to enter the workforce in a skilled trade, Corbin says that 95 percent of the students who graduated last year with tech center training had at least one letter of acceptance from a college or a university; the other 5 percent planned to directly join the workforce or to join the military.
“It’s definitely a misconception out there, that students who come to the tech center don’t go on to continue their education,” Corbin said.
Speaking of misconceptions — classifying different trades as gender specific is a thing of the past. Both males and females are encouraged to study any vocation they wish — whether it’s a female student in carpentry or a male student in health and human sciences.
Also, students who study at the tech center are still required to meet the educational requirements set by their high schools; in relatable terms, vocational programs are studied in place of other electives.
Parents or students who want to learn more about the tech center are welcome to schedule a tour by calling 493-4270 or visiting the school’s website at www.rsu39.org/Schools/TechCtr/TechnologyCenter.html
