LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Dozens of Western High School seniors are getting ready to graduate next year with a career plan in place and tuition already paid for through a program that connects students with trade school training for free.
Hands-on experience
Western High School seniors Alexander Calderon Tovar and Stephany Nava are among 44 seniors in the Warrior Pathway program.
“You know, you actually go test these things. Go test what you actually want to do. See if that’s something you truly want to do every day or something you want to build off of,” Calderon Tovar said.
The program launched five years ago with a $4.5 million grant from the Engelstad Foundation and the mikeroweWORKS Foundation.
“We get to go on these field trips and experience these new trade programs that I got to experience. And that’s when I learned about radiology, which is something I want to go into,” Nava said.
Program built around high-demand careers
Principal Antonio Rael said the program has been successful. It is built around high-demand careers including construction, manufacturing, welding, automotive and health care.
“Being an inner-city school in Las Vegas, there’s an opportunity to make sure we get them on career pathways,” Rael said.
Students who complete the four-year program have their trade school tuition covered after they graduate.
“Match that with the reality that there are workforce opportunities in our very city where we don’t have enough personnel to fill those job requirements,” he said. “And so it’s a perfect merging of: we have kids who need a clear plan. We have a city that needs workforce in these high-skill, high-demand jobs.”
Avoiding college debt
Both students said choosing a trade path has also saved them from taking on debt in college.
“Yeah, no, definitely like a weight off my shoulders. I don’t have to worry about maybe looking for another scholarship. I’m going to get into my trade, learn it, master it, and then get right into the workforce,” Calderon Tovar said.
“Trade is exactly as good as going to college. You’re doing something you love, and you could get paid equally,” Nava added.
There are currently 190 students in total in the Warrior Pathway program.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the trade, transportation and utilities sector is one of Nevada’s largest employment groups, accounting for nearly 300,000 jobs, or 18 percent of the state’s total employment.
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