OHS Career Center Newsletter
May 2020
Foreword
What if college enrollment after high school graduation is not for you at this time, however? The good news is, you still have many options to get training for a career with competitive wages and benefits! Apprenticeships, registered apprenticeships and military enlistment provide paid training for a variety of careers, some of which can start you at higher salaries than four-year college graduates. And, please read below about short-term credentialing opportunities in the Healthcare field at nearby Durham Tech! With one of these opportunities you may be able to enter the workforce much earlier than students in four-year colleges, earning a competitive salary at a young age while gaining years of experience and contributing to your retirement.
If this sounds too good to be true, read some of the items in this newsletter. It is a good idea to know all your options, as there are many different pathways to success.
Durham Tech Virtual Career Fair is May 28th! Please register to attend.
Help Wanted - Health Professions with Short-Term Education Programs at Durham Tech
Short-term credentials - certifications and certificates - are really popular because they capture the training necessary for specific job tasks in a short amount of time. With the current state of affairs with regard to the COVID19 pandemic there is a great need for professionals in the health care field. You can become one of these professionals with the help of the faculty and staff at Durham Tech. There are many short-term credentials in the health care field that students can earn at Durham Tech in as little as 6 months to 9 months.
The article below mentions just a few health care jobs that are in demand and the salaries that go along with them. Please review the lucrative opportunities that exist in the Healthcare field:
Clinical Trials Research Associate - Data Management - 8 months
Dental Laboratory Technology - Complete Denture Techniques - 8 months
Medical Product Safety and Pharmacovigilance – Certificate - 8 months
Pharmacy Technology - Hospital Pharmacy Certificate - 6 months
Dialysis Technician Continuing Education Program Contact Hours: 132
EKG Technician and Monitoring Continuing Education Contact Hours: 96 (Hybrid 120)
Medical Coding/Medical Billing Continuing Education Contact Hours: 40-128
Apprenticeships
An Apprenticeship is a hybrid job training program, where students (apprentices) learn the necessary job skills on the job while attending college classes specifically designed for their chosen job. Students may attend college one day a week while working full-time, and earning a competitive salary.
How long does it take to finish an Apprenticeship?
It may take 4 years or less, depending upon the consortium or employer requirements. "Consortiums" are regional groupings of employers and community colleges. The two nearby consortiums for Orange High are North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP) who with its partnership with Wake Tech offers Engineering, Metal Fabrication and most recently Auto Tech apprenticeships; and Career Accelerator Program (CAP) in Alamance County, with classes being taught at Alamance Community College for Engineering.
In addition, many private employers offer apprenticeships in North Carolina in a variety of professions.
When do I begin? How can I get started?
Traditionally, students should apply in their junior year in high school. The process begins with a school presentation, then interested students can tour several or more work sites with at least one parent/guardian to see which one suits their interests best. During this time they are to complete the application. Students should have a 2.8 GPA to be considered. If accepted, students will, in the summer before the senior year, do a Pre-Apprenticeship at the site of their choosing. If things go well during the summer, the student begins the Apprenticeship in their senior year of high school where they attend high school classes in the morning then work at their job site in the afternoons. This continues on throughout the senior year. Once they graduate, students will continue on during the summer and will follow the one day a week college class format while working full time for the next 2-3 years, all the while earning a steadily-increasing salary.
Once I complete the Apprenticeship, what next?
Congratulations! You are fully employable, have earned an Associates Degree in Engineering, Mechatronics, or Auto Tech, at no cost to yourself (in fact you have earned money) and you may command a salary as early as 21 of $40,000-$50,000. More, you may be considered for promotion based on your job performance as many apprentices move into non-production careers within the company such as management or sales.
Where can I get more information?
Contact Mr. Montgomery via Orange High, or check these websites:
Photo above - Apprentices with some of their products at Schunk Intec. Inc. in Morrisville.
Internships
- Capital Ford (Auto Repair)
- Carillon (Geriatric Care and Nursing)
- Food Lion (Business Management)
- Grady Brown Elementary (Education)
- Harris Teeter (Grocery Departments and Food Supply)
- Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce (Marketing)
- News of Orange (Journalism)
- Piedmont Veterinary (Animal Science and Medicine)
- State Farm Insurance (Marketing/Sales)
- Vaughan Development (Construction)
- WaterGuru (Industrial Engineering)
- Whitted Bowers Farm (Agriculture and Natural Resources)
In addition, students have also completed internships in various businesses in past years including Orange County Department of Aging, an interior design firm, and even a taxidermist! Also, if you already have a job, speak with Mr. Montgomery in the Career Center about possibly turning that into an internship.
If you are interested in any of the aforementioned internships, please contact Mr. Montgomery or your counselor. You must be an 11th or 12th grader, have reliable transportation, and have some coursework completed related to the internship you'd like to do.
Orange High School's Fire Tech Program
Photo above: A young aspiring firefighter poses in front of one of the legendary Carolina Blue fire trucks in Chapel Hill
Military Information
Army Website
Elmer M Arguelles
SFC, USA
Station Commander
3J3V Chapel Hill Recruiting Station
Office: 919-932-7395
Cell: 919-328-0652
Email: elmer.m.arguelles.mil@mail.mil
Navy Website
OS1(SW/AW) Johnathan Davis
Navy Recruiting Station Durham
Enlisted Recruiter
Cell: 919-750-1044
Office: 919-490-0162
Marines Website
GySgt McKeithan, Robert P.
USMC Recruiting Sub-Station Durham
1125 W NC 54, Suite 305D
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 490-6339 / Office
(919) 376-5058 / Cell
(919) 490-6768 / Fax
Air Force Website
JOSHUA D. RABY, TSgt, USAF
Enlisted Accessions Recruiter
Durham, NC
Office: 919-490-9869
Fax: 919-493-9537
Cell: 919-218-4462
North Carolina National Guard
https://nc.ng.mil/contactus/Pages/default.aspx
SSG Bilal Kordab
RRNCO, NCARNG
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
919-609-5053 | bkordab@email.unc.edu
For more information...
Mr. Nick Montgomery
Career Development Coordinator, Orange High School
nick.montgomery@orange.k12.nc.us
Ms. Tiffany Robinson
Career Coach at Durham Tech serving Orange High School