A trade course or career track course at the community college can serve as a worthy elective for all homeschooled high school students including college-bound students. The skills learned in these courses can be used to earn a trade certificate, support a hobby, make money, learn helpful life skills, or complement a career. Certain courses can help your student stand out on scholarship and college applications too. Furthermore, these credits can be added to the high school transcript as electives.
WRONG PERCEPTIONS
Sadly, the idea of taking a trade course at the community college can lead to erroneous thinking. People who expect their children to follow a college track may fear that a trade course could lock a student into the career track. A trade course could send the unintended message that the student is not smart enough for college. Maybe parents fear that their student will love the trade more than the idea of going to college. Another reason that homeschooling parents may disregard these courses is that they expect their student to take a full load of college credit courses in the 11th and 12th grades.
POSITIVE EXPERIENCES
I gave up those notions and encouraged my children to take career track courses along with college credit courses during high school. They picked courses that complemented skills they were already working on in their spare time.
My daughter took simulation and game development courses at the community college during high school to supplement her hobby and to prepare for a future degree in computer science. These courses did not provide transferrable credit for a college degree, but the benefits materialized, nonetheless. Besides gaining helpful skills, those courses helped her earn a valuable four-year STEM scholarship. Scholarship applications require students to provide evidence that they have passion and ambition for a particular field; these courses validated her commitment to a computer related profession.
My high school son is taking a combination of college credit courses and trade courses at the community college. He is taking CAD courses for interest and to complement a possible future degree in mechanical engineering. Once again, there are benefits to gain even though the credits cannot be transferred to a college degree. Besides learning valuable skills, he was offered a paid position as an assistant in future CAD I courses at the community college. This will look attractive on college and scholarship applications.
My son also wants to take courses in auto mechanics, body work, electronics, and welding to help him rebuild a 1983 Volvo. These courses may do more than help him rebuild the car, they may open doors in the auto industry as a 3-D designer or mechanical engineer. If he successfully rebuilds that car, he can weave his trials and tribulations of the project into the college essay.
SATISFYING EMPLOYMENT
Earning a trade certificate during high school can help students find satisfying employment while attending college. I remember a gal in my freshman dorm who was a licensed hairdresser. She cut student hair in the dorm and made extra cash and got to meet guys that way. If my son ends up earning a certificate in CAD, I trust he can find a job as a CAD designer to help with college expenses. It sure beats working a low-skill job.
HOW TO PREPARE
If your student is in the ninth or tenth grade, look at the online course catalog together with your child. Find out what courses seem interesting for the 11th or 12th grade. Explain that the course will serve as an elective on the high school transcript and not as an endorsement of a career. Consider adding one or two college credit courses too. Take note of the registration deadline in advance. It could be in March for the fall semester. Registration may involve some time-consuming tasks like preparing a transcript, attending meetings, and submitting certain evaluation forms.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Homeschoolers have more opportunities than students in traditional schools. We don’t have to fill an eight-hour time slot each day, so we can trim out low-value courses and make time for courses that can inspire and open doors. Trade or career track courses can do just that. They can serve all students too. Consider combining them with college level courses. Some courses may not offer college credit, but they will supply 1 credit on the high school transcript. If that’s all your student gets out of the experience, that’s still a very good thing!