Sophomores embarked on college visits at Miami University Regionals Middletown and Hamilton campuses, Sinclair Community College, Cincinnati State and Northern Kentucky University.
More than 100 seniors visited six of the district’s Ready Now 100 business partners. Those companies included Deceuninck, Lahlou, Emery Federal Credit Union, Butler Tech’s Public Safety Education Complex, Ohio Living and Majestic Care.
At Butler Tech’s Public Safety Education Complex in Liberty Twp., the Middletown seniors learned about the police and fire academies, emergency medical services and truck driving school.
Nina Haynes, 17, an MHS senior who is considering a career in nursing, emergency medical services or cosmetology, said she thoroughly enjoyed the visit to Butler Tech and was impressed by the facilities and curriculum.
She said the one-year programs at Butler Tech prepare students quicker for their careers.
“It’s a nice school,” she said. “They have a lot to offer.”
Adult Education Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Kelly Poole told the seniors the goal at Butler Tech is to teach students a desired skill, get them certified, then employed. She said employment is much different than a job.
Commander Joel Seibert, in charge of the police academy, said Butler Tech offers several academies every year, and each class includes about 20 students. He prefers students at least 20 years old since officers must be at least 21 to be hired by police departments.
Butler Tech has two identical firing ranges that offer targets all the way back to 75 feet, though most police shootings with suspects are between 7 to 14 feet, he said.
He also showed the students the academy’s matted room where self-defense and fitness are instructed. Of the 740 hours required to graduate from the police academy, 140 are spent in that room, he said.
Carlisle Fire Chief Jeremy Lane, who also serves as Paramedic Program Coordinator with Butler Tech, said the EMT program includes 180-190 hours of classroom and clinical. He said paramedic certification includes 500 classroom and 500 clinical hours.
EMTs start earning $20 to $22 an hour, while paramedics start at $25 to $30, he said.
He said local public safety departments are suffering through “labor poor environments” and departments from Cincinnati to Dayton are hiring.
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If you have a story idea for a “Good News” feature in the Journal-News, send it to contributing writer Rick McCrabb at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.
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