Special to the Reporter

The Shelby County School of Technology will celebrate Pride Week for Career Technical Education on April 3-7.

Pride Week recognizes the role career and technical education has in preparing youth and adults for successful careers.

Pride Week&8217;s theme is &8220;Career Tech: Education for Success.&8221;

Shelby County Schools has one of the strongest technical programs in the state of Alabama. Career technical education begins in the middle schools in Shelby County, and the School of Technology serves as the hub for career technical courses for high school students.

Presently, the SOT offers 13 career tech programs: automotive technology, a Business and Finance Academy, a BE&K Construction program consisting of electrical, carpentry and welding, Cisco Networking Academy, collision repair, cosmetology, Culinary Arts Academy, healthcare science, landscaping design and management, pre-engineering/drafting and a Public Service Academy.

All of the SOT programs are SACS accredited, business or industry certified or NATEF certified.

Some SOT students even participate in dual enrollment to receive high school credit from their technical program as well as college credit from Lawson State Community College and other two-year colleges.

SOT officials say one of the best features of the programs are the bonds established between instructors and students.

The relationships continue beyond the classroom and into the job field, with students often staying in contact with their teachers long after they&8217;ve graduated.

&8220;Electrical technology gave me a two-year advantage in the electrical industry by giving me a firm background in becoming a journeyman. It was a great opportunity,&8221; said former student Justin Wheeler. &8220;I am glad I took advantage of being in the program.&8221;

Former student Skyla Grimes agreed.

&8220;I am now employed in the IT (information technology) field. The pay is good. I would not have had this opportunity if it wasn&8217;t for the Cisco Networking Academy at the School of Technology,&8221; she said.

Doug Steele of Doug&8217;s Landscaping Company in Alabaster is another successful graduate.

&8220;After completing the landscape design course at the Shelby County School of Technology, I have been able to use the many things I learned there to help me make my business successful and profitable,&8221; Steele said