Workforce Education
Workforce Education
The Van Buren School District offers eight Arkansas Career and Technical Education programs of study:
- Agriculture
- Arts (theatre)
- Business and Marketing
- Family and Consumer Science
- Information Technology
- JAG
- STEM Engineering
- Bio-Medical Science
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.
Students 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.
Nancy Robbins, Workforce Education Coordinator
2221 Pointer Trail East
Van Buren, AR 72956
(479) 474-7942