Workforce Education
The Van Buren School District offers six workforce
education programs of study. Students may choose a course of study in Business
Education, Cooperative Office Education, Family and Consumer Sciences, Welding
or Automotive Mechanics. These on-campus programs include development of
skills in such areas as self-awareness, career awareness and computer literacy
in addition to specific academic and occupational skills. They are supported by
related courses in;
- Career Orientation
- Keyboarding
- Coordinated Compensatory Vocational Education
- Exploring Industrial Technology Education
- Junior Reserve Office Training Corps (JROTC)
Students with post-secondary plans involving the military might benefit from
the JROTC 3 credit program
Student with career plans that are not supported by on-campus Workforce Education
programs have the option of enrolling in technical programs at the Western Arkansas
Technical Center (WATC) located on the University of Arkansas Fort Smith
(UAFS) campus. Juniors and Seniors in good standing may take academic core courses
at Van Buren High School in the morning and attend WATC each afternoon for technical
courses. Courses taken at WATC receive dual credit - high school
credit at VBHS and college credit at UAFS. WATC students are responsible for
book and supply cost only. Tuition fees and transportation are the responsibility
of the Van Buren School District.
In the 21st Century...
- The average new job requires almost 14 years of formal education;
- The demand for workers with high school skills has decreased 10 percent;
- Only 15 percent of jobs now require a college education, but nearly all require
job specific training after high school; and
- Technical employees often earn a higher salary than the typical 4-year college graduate;
Van Buren School District feels compelled to offer challenging courses of study which will prepare students for today's job
market and for educational opportunities at a variety of post-secondary settings.
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