Campus now features advanced training facilities to equip students for local skilled professions
Beloit Memorial High School's Career-Focused Education Shines in Wisconsin
Beloit Memorial High School in Beloit, Wisconsin, is leading the way in career and technical education (CTE), providing students with hands-on training and real-world experiences that align with local job market needs.
Since 2018, the school has made significant strides in prioritising CTE and work-based learning, resulting in advanced on-campus training facilities and high student engagement in local skilled jobs programs.
Advanced Facilities and Programs
The high school boasts specialized training sites, including a large construction area for masonry, plumbing, and electrical projects; a metal shop with welding stations; and an auto repair center repurposed from a former Sears facility. These facilities provide practical, hands-on experience comparable to or exceeding many technical colleges.
Student Participation
Nearly one in three students at Beloit Memorial concentrate in CTE programs, far surpassing Wisconsin’s statewide goal for Workplace Learning Programs participation.
Student Outcomes
The graduation rate for students concentrating in CTE is 90%, which is 15 percentage points higher than the national average. More than 40% of graduates earn at least one industry-recognized certification, and one in four graduates secures multiple certifications, boosting their employability.
Alignment with Workforce Needs
Beloit’s CTE programs prepare students for good-paying, locally based skilled jobs, helping to build a workforce pipeline tailored to regional industries. The strong focus on industry-recognized certifications and apprenticeships indicates direct alignment with workforce demands and enhances student employment prospects after graduation.
Investment in CTE
The school recently bought a $20,000 scanner for its automotive program, which can help diagnose a car problem and connect students to garages throughout the country that have successfully fixed the specified problem.
Work-Based Learning Opportunities
Students can choose to concentrate in a specific field and have the option to do work-based learning, which can include internships, youth apprenticeships, or working at high-end simulated job sites inside the school.
Teacher Externships
Each year, about 10 teachers complete an externship in which they spend one week of their summer at a local business.
Industry Recognition
More than one-third of Wisconsin jobs will require education beyond high school but less than a bachelor's degree by 2031, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education. Beloit Memorial High School is well-positioned to meet this demand, with students piling up industry-recognized certifications. More than 40% of its students graduate with at least one certification, and 1 in 4 of them have multiple certifications.
Meeting Local Business Needs
Manufacturing and construction are major business needs in Beloit, a city of 36,000. The school's welding program has 125 students this year and had to turn away 65 more due to space limitations. Last year, 17 of the school's welding academy graduates enlisted in the armed forces to specialize in welding.
Preparing Students for Success
Rising senior Tayvon Cates, who is in the school's health and education academy, said, "If you want to do something, the school can help you do it." Chris Hooker, HVAC manager of Lloyd's Plumbing and Heating Corp., teaches general HVAC concepts to students at Beloit Memorial High School's advanced manufacturing academy.
Beloit's Lead in Workforce Development
Wisconsin has called for 7 percent of its high school students to be in workplace learning programs by 2026, and Beloit Memorial High School is far ahead of this target. For the last four years, the state has had more job openings than people on unemployment. Beloit’s investment in upgrading CTE through high-quality facilities, integrated curricula, and workplace learning experiences has created a robust system that effectively supports workforce development and improves student employment opportunities in the region.
Sources: [1] Beloit Daily News, "Beloit Memorial High School's Career and Technical Education Programs Exceed Statewide Participation Goals," 2021. [2] Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, "Career and Technical Education in Wisconsin," 2021. [3] Beloit Memorial High School, "Career and Technical Education," 2021.
- Beloit Memorial High School's emphasis on education-and-self-development, such as career-development and skills-training programs, aligns with the growing demand for workforce development, as more than one-third of Wisconsin jobs will require some form of post-secondary education by 2031.
- The innovation in Beloit Memorial High School's education system is evident in the advanced facilities like the large construction area, metal shop, and auto repair center, which offer practical, hands-on experiences that exceed many technical colleges and are tailored to meet the needs of local industries, particularly manufacturing and construction.
- Inequality in employment prospects can be reduced through quality education and skills-training, as demonstrated by Beloit Memorial High School's CTE programs, where the graduation rate for students concentrating in CTE is 90%, which is 15 percentage points higher than the national average, and over 40% of graduates earn at least one industry-recognized certification, boosting their employability.
