CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS...

Ridgewood High School senior Andrew Ciolek protects the quarterback and opens lanes for running backs as an offensive lineman on the football field. As he nears the end of his time in high school and prepares to play football in college, Ciolek is already getting ready for a possible career as a first responder.

“I like the health care stuff. I like to know what to do if there’s a problem and nobody else knows what to do. I like to feel that I'm confident in my own skills, I'm confident in myself that I can help the situation,” Ciolek said.

As of early 2025, Ciolek attends high school by day and takes an emergency medical technician training course two nights a week at nearby Triton College.

“With this opportunity, money’s not coming out of my pocket to pay for something like this, which is beneficial,” Ciolek said.

Ridgewood's career pathways program offers more than twenty endorsement areas for students to explore, including health care, manufacturing, teaching and more.

Ridgewood Senior Majd Mousa completed the education pathway program and received dual credits from Northeastern Illinois University.

“If you like working with kids or anything with school, like social worker, counselor, even principal, or teachers, it’s definitely the program that you need to try,” Mousa said.

The career pathways program is designed to be as flexible as possible and could lead to a paid internship or job offer at the end, according to Ridgewood superintendent Dr. Jennifer Kelsall.

“We look at just schooling in general as the path to a career. Everyone’s route to get there is different. For some it is a four year degree, some it is a two year, some it’s trades, some it’s straight into the workforce and so what we really focus on here is what opportunities can we provide our students to make decisions sooner rather than later so hopefully they’re not spending too much out of pocket to really figure out what they want to do as a potential future career,” Kelsall said.

According to Illinois State Board of Education records, more than 285,000 Illinois high school students enrolled in career and technical education courses during the 2023-24 school year. That is approximately 48% of all high school students. Additionally,  654 out of 700 high schools and all 25 area career centers offered approved programs.

Elmwood High School offers similar programs to its students.

“I feel like the kids are really seeing their own potential, and by getting to do those things hands-on, now, they get to build confidence, they build those skills,” said Paige Kozyra, Elmwood Park High School’s college and career counselor.

Triton College said its Early College program provides high school students with a powerful advantage by empowering them to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously.

“By getting a head start on college coursework, students save time and money while gaining valuable academic experience. At the same time, they develop the skills and credentials needed to enter the workforce sooner, prepared for high-demand careers. These programs open doors to greater opportunities, setting students on a path to success in higher education and beyond,” said Dr. Alexandria Terrazas, Dean of Early College Programs at Triton College.

Students said good time management is needed to balance their school work with the training programs. But it gets them one step closer to certification in the field they choose to pursue.

“I’m just looking forward to building on my skill set and just becoming a successful person in life,” Ciolek said. “Having a successful career, having the resources to do so, having the network of people to do so and just be able to support my community.”