Michael Berry Career Center is holding two events in the coming weeks to help students and parents explore many of the numerous career and technical education (CTE) options in Dearborn Public Schools.
On Wednesday, Feb. 23, the district will host a virtual event highlighting all the CTE programs available at MBCC and the district’s three traditional high schools – Fordson, Dearborn High and Edsel Ford. The online event will run from 6 to 7 p.m. on the district’s YouTube channel, Comcast channel 19, and via our Facebook page.
The program will talk about nine career areas with classes available for district high school students. The list includes automotive technology, Business Academy, construction trades, computer science, criminal justice and law, culinary arts and tourism, digital design and media, education careers and health sciences.
The online event will be followed on Wednesday, March 2, by a live open house at the Michael Berry Career Center, 22586 Ann Arbor Trail, Dearborn Heights. Parents and prospective students can stop by the campus from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to meet staff and students; view equipment, materials and sample student projects; learn about college credit for CTE classes; visit with local employers to hear about job opportunities; and tour the facility and learn about career programs.
Parents can learn more about the district’s career and technical education program by visiting the MBCC website. Michael Berry Career Center is a partial day program. Students in grades 10-12, take core classes like math and English Language Arts at their home high school and then are bused to MBCC for either morning or afternoon sessions in career and technical areas.
Career classes still include traditional vo-tech areas like auto shop, but today’s CTE also allows students to explore white collar jobs such as computer programming, teaching, marketing and much more.
“I love helping students find a career that really interests them,” said John Bayerl, who oversees the district’s career and technical programs. “Finding something they are passionate about can change a student’s entire perspective about school and make them a more excited learner in all their classes.”