SECTA students showcase workforce skills during visit from Colorado governor
EDUCATION
Polis, left, and Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction Jhone Ebert, center, watch as Tanner Janik, 14, demonstrates the features of a competition robot named “Mad Maxx” on Wednesday in the advanced manufacturing lab at Southeast Career and Technical Academy.
PHOTOS BY WADE VANDERVORT
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, right, turns on a light switch in the construction lab at Southeast Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas. Polis, who is pursuing his “Let’s Get Ready” education policy-focused platform as chair of the National Governors Association, toured the school Wednesday to learn how Nevada is addressing workforce readiness in its young people.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, right, turns on a light switch in the construction lab at Southeast Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas. Polis, who is pursuing his “Let’s Get Ready” education policy-focused platform as chair of the National Governors Association, toured the school Wednesday to learn how Nevada is addressing workforce readiness in its young people.
H igh school senior Tyler Swift has made big moves to map out his career: As a student at Southeast Career and Technical Academy majoring in construction technology, he’s already earned three certifications in welding, lined up an apprenticeship that he will begin after he earns his diploma, and fabricates and sells one-of-a-kind pieces like artwork and furniture.
Swift, 17, said he was the only blue-collar worker in his family. He’s been doing blue-collar jobs for a while; he earned his first certification at 15, thanks to what he learned at Southeast Career and Technical Academy, or SECTA.
“At that time, I was one of the youngest certified welders in the state,” Swift pointed out.
State Superintendent of Schools Jhone Ebert accompanied Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is pursuing his “Let’s Get Ready” education policy-focused platform as chair of the National Governors Association, on a tour of SECTA on Wednesday to learn how Nevada is addressing workforce readiness in its young people like Swift.
Polis, Ebert and other thinkers and policymakers from around the country visited the workshop-like classrooms for SECTA’s culinary arts, cosmetology, advanced manufacturing and construction technology programs. Polis engaged with students as they demonstrated their robots’ dexterity or the right way to hold a hammer and pound a nail.
“We know that education is the key to prosperity and success for individuals, our communities and our economy,”
Polis, who was in Las Vegas for the winter meeting of the Western Governors Association, said in a statement. “That’s why we’re encouraged that governors from both sides of the aisle are working with our country’s top education experts to find innovative solutions to improve education policies and outcomes. We can ensure all learners have access to quality education by implementing policies that look to the current and future needs of students and our workforce.”
SECTA Principal Isabel Sanchez said local stonemasons were behind the school’s opening nearly 60 years ago to close a worker shortage, a still-familiar challenge in the trades and other careers, like teaching and the caring professions.
SECTA opened in 1966 as Southern Nevada Vocational Technical Center, or Vo-Tech, and offers students 16 recognized industry credentials and up to 21 college credits alongside traditional academics. It has 11 programs — which it calls majors, like colleges do — at its ultramodern rebuilt campus in southeast Las Vegas.
It is the oldest of the nine award-winning, high-achieving career and technical academy high schools in the Clark County School District. CCSD’s newest technical academy opened in 2023 in North Las Vegas, and the next opens in Henderson in August 2025.
Career and technical academies’ programming starts with freshmen and can help adolescents learn what they do— or don’t — want to pursue in adulthood.
“We take some small interest they had in the eighth grade and develop it into a passion,” Sanchez said.
Construction technology is a multifaceted program that exposes students to framing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, engineering and cabinetry. If a skill isn’t taught in their shop, teacher Lucas Inman said he tried to connect students to it anyway, like Swift and welding.
Cesar Aragon, a 17-year-old senior in the construction technology major, will attend UNLV next year to study engineering and construction management.
“My dad had me in drywall since I was 9 years old,” he said. “Construction is a very good trade. You can make a very good wage.”
Gia Moore, a CCSD assistant superintendent who oversees magnet schools, said the newest technical academy had been in planning since 2018, with area economic and workforce development groups helping envision the programming.
The school district publishes detailed guidebooks for families interested in career and technical education highlighting occupations that students can prepare for while still in high school — along with their projected demand and average salaries.
“We want our students to make very well-informed decisions,” she said. hillary.davis@gmgvegas.com / 702-990-8949 / @HillaryLVSun
Swift, 17, said he was the only blue-collar worker in his family. He’s been doing blue-collar jobs for a while; he earned his first certification at 15, thanks to what he learned at Southeast Career and Technical Academy, or SECTA.
“At that time, I was one of the youngest certified welders in the state,” Swift pointed out.
State Superintendent of Schools Jhone Ebert accompanied Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is pursuing his “Let’s Get Ready” education policy-focused platform as chair of the National Governors Association, on a tour of SECTA on Wednesday to learn how Nevada is addressing workforce readiness in its young people like Swift.
Polis, Ebert and other thinkers and policymakers from around the country visited the workshop-like classrooms for SECTA’s culinary arts, cosmetology, advanced manufacturing and construction technology programs. Polis engaged with students as they demonstrated their robots’ dexterity or the right way to hold a hammer and pound a nail.
“We know that education is the key to prosperity and success for individuals, our communities and our economy,”
Polis, who was in Las Vegas for the winter meeting of the Western Governors Association, said in a statement. “That’s why we’re encouraged that governors from both sides of the aisle are working with our country’s top education experts to find innovative solutions to improve education policies and outcomes. We can ensure all learners have access to quality education by implementing policies that look to the current and future needs of students and our workforce.”
SECTA Principal Isabel Sanchez said local stonemasons were behind the school’s opening nearly 60 years ago to close a worker shortage, a still-familiar challenge in the trades and other careers, like teaching and the caring professions.
SECTA opened in 1966 as Southern Nevada Vocational Technical Center, or Vo-Tech, and offers students 16 recognized industry credentials and up to 21 college credits alongside traditional academics. It has 11 programs — which it calls majors, like colleges do — at its ultramodern rebuilt campus in southeast Las Vegas.
It is the oldest of the nine award-winning, high-achieving career and technical academy high schools in the Clark County School District. CCSD’s newest technical academy opened in 2023 in North Las Vegas, and the next opens in Henderson in August 2025.
Career and technical academies’ programming starts with freshmen and can help adolescents learn what they do— or don’t — want to pursue in adulthood.
“We take some small interest they had in the eighth grade and develop it into a passion,” Sanchez said.
Construction technology is a multifaceted program that exposes students to framing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, engineering and cabinetry. If a skill isn’t taught in their shop, teacher Lucas Inman said he tried to connect students to it anyway, like Swift and welding.
Cesar Aragon, a 17-year-old senior in the construction technology major, will attend UNLV next year to study engineering and construction management.
“My dad had me in drywall since I was 9 years old,” he said. “Construction is a very good trade. You can make a very good wage.”
Gia Moore, a CCSD assistant superintendent who oversees magnet schools, said the newest technical academy had been in planning since 2018, with area economic and workforce development groups helping envision the programming.
The school district publishes detailed guidebooks for families interested in career and technical education highlighting occupations that students can prepare for while still in high school — along with their projected demand and average salaries.
“We want our students to make very well-informed decisions,” she said. hillary.davis@gmgvegas.com / 702-990-8949 / @HillaryLVSun