MACHESNEY PARK, Ill. (WREX) — The Harlem School District is working to give students options outside of the traditional college path with a new Career Technical Education Center. The new facility was unveiled Monday afternoon.
The 27,000-square-foot facility includes many upgrades for welding and fabrication, including new equipment and classrooms, as well as upgrades to the school’s culinary, early childhood and health science classrooms.
The facility took more than a year and a half to build and cost the district $18 million.
The new centre aims to provide students with training in the skills they need for jobs as quickly as possible.
“The kids who attend Rock Valley School, right? We’ve seen a lot of what Rock Valley School has done, and we thought in our minds, right? Maybe we could do the same thing here,” Superintendent Terrell Yarbrough said.
This comes as part of the district’s efforts to provide more options for transitioning higher education.
“I think for a long time we’ve had a path where everybody can go to college. It’s important to walk away from college, but it’s also important to walk away from a career, right? And chances are when you leave high school you already have a credential,” Yarbrough said.
Vice Chancellor for Business and Operations Josh Orlando toured the district himself and said the new center is a response to demand from both students and community partners.
“This is going to be a huge community. There are a lot of businesses here, Henning and Woodward, that need people here and I’m really proud to be involved with this project and what it means for this community,” Orlando said.
Orlando is already looking forward to the impact it will have on the next generation of Huskies.
“I never thought I’d be here today and participating in this program. My oldest son starts here this week so he’ll probably be participating in some of these programs as well. Being in Harlem, this is a home-grown program and it’s very dear to me,” Orlando said.
With the start of the new semester just a few days away, excitement is building among students.
“I heard from parents of new students last week that they are excited for their children to go back to school,” said Principal Jeremy Boyce. “It’s so inspiring for me as a leader to hear kids say they want to come back from the summer, they want to start learning, they want to be here and they want to gain skills.”
The project also includes a clinic where Harlem staff and their families can see a doctor, aiming to make healthcare more accessible.
“It reduces the health care costs for our employees, it provides quality care for our employees and hopefully saves the district money, so it’s a win-win for everybody,” Orlando said.
Staff are currently putting the finishing touches on the centre, which will be open to students when classes resume on Thursday.
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