Area High School Students Honored at CTE Signing Day

Several area high school seniors earned recognition or declared their fall college choice during the first-ever Career and Technical Education Signing Day at Parkland College last week.

At the April 25th event in the Student Union, students earning dual credit through the Early College and Career Academy announced their intention to pursue a career training program at Parkland this fall, with the goal of entering certain career and technical education fields. Families were on hand to watch their students sign on to their chosen program at the event, organized to resemble signing days for athletic programs.

A joint effort of Education for Employment System #330 and Parkland College, the ECCA allows high school juniors and seniors to earn dual credit in eight different Parkland College program areas. Over 400 students have participated in the ECCA since its inception in the 2015-2016 school year. First- and second-year ECCA students from the following high schools received Signing Day recognition:

Earning Parkland’s Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair Certificate this spring:
Heritage: Dylan Dohme

Earning Parkland’s Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate this spring:
St. Joseph-Ogden: Heidi Novak and Abigail Dunham

Note: Completing the certificate program qualifies these students to take the Illinois Department of Public Health CNA licensing exam.

More information on the Early College and Career Academy is available at parkland.edu/ecca.