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Hoke Vocational Education
Pace
Checking the roots
On warm daw* these horticulture students get to work In the school's
greenTf&SSi' cnecklng rodftTon 'plants which they "have grown during the
mmmmwrnrntmrnmrnsr ^
year.. Students also have a chance to grow various plants and flowers from
seeds during the course.
Completing that stitch
This home economics student appears to be devoting her full attention to
each stitch that she sews. She is taking one of the many courses In the
vocational education program that provides " hands-on " experience to
Hoke students.
Examining the yarns
Textile / students try their hand at examining some of the yarn used
by fellow students in the more advanced textile classes. These classes pro
vide students with a chance to learn about the textile industry by
working with the local Burlington plant.
Working on thehtart
Health QCCMpitlmu Instructor Sally Young (right) shows thtst students
tht different parts of the human heart and dbauses the individual func
tions. The MM dia ls am of It different vocational education classes
? Ol9R/ tmHffm mm tl&mf rftfH*
Learning the fundamentals
These vocational students leant the fundamentals of working *? a fast food
or short-order restaurant as they prepare a "quick meal" In one of
their classes.
By Sherry Matthews
Industries are replacing old
machinery with "computerized"
and advanced "high technology"
equipment, and pressure is being
placed on the public school
systems to keep up with the chang
ing pace.
In Hoke County, Vocational
Education Director Harold Gillis
says his department is "putting
forth every effort" to "keep up."
"We are always trying to im
prove our department," Gillis
said.
"We don't have the resources to
move into the real high technology
realm of industry, but we are stay
ing abreast of the changes," he
added.
At present, the Hoke school
system offers 20 different voca
tional education courses to some
922 students at both the junior
high and high school level.
The courses range from junior
high "occupational exploration"
to a Textile III course that allows
seniors to earn money as they
learn.
The programs at Upchurch
Junior High school are actually
"preparatory courses that help
"encourage students to make ten
tative career choices," Gillis said.
"We are not forcing them into
career goals. The courses just help
them with their choices," the voca
tional director added.
"We are not able to serve all the
students at Upchurch that we
would like, but we are working on
it," Gillis said.
At Upchurch, four "occupa
tional exploration" courses and
two "special vocational" courses
are being taught.
Once at the Hoke High level, a
wide and varied selection of voca
tional education classes and ac
tivities are offered.
"1 think we have a very broad
course selection in our vocational
education program," Gillis said.
"A lot of schools are not able to
serve the students as broadly as we
do," he added.
The vocation program at Hoke
High offers classes in agriculture,
business and office studies, elec
tricity, electronics, health occupa
tions, job placement, marketing
and distributive education,
masonry, technical drafting, tex
tiles I, II and 111, welding and ex
tended day programs.
The wide variety of courses are
offered to anyone who registers for
them.
Along with the regular voca
tional classes, there are courses of
fered that "meet the needs" of the
handicapped and disadvantaged
students, Gillis said.
In the disadvantaged class, in
structors attempt to provide train
ing for the "economically and
educationally handicapped
students that will help them obtain
"some sort of employment skills"
that will benefit them later, Gillis
said.
A second group of students that
have been identified as handicap
ped or disadvantaged are
mainstreamed into the regular
vocational education program.
"They are placed in a regular
vocational class, but the teachers
give them extra special help in
order to meet their particular
needs," Gillis said.
"It works well," he added.
In addition, Hoke High offers
an extended day program that
allows "students that have had to
drop out for various reasons" to
learn job-training skills.
Thirty-five students are present
ly enrolled in the extended day pro
gram.
"The students in the extended
day program are those who have
not been able to cope with a daily
school schedule," Gillis said.
The other 14 vocational educa
tion courses also offer job skills
and training to interested students.
"1 think every course we offer
gives the students hands-on train
ing," Gillis said.
Students learn how to germinate
seeds, keep a green house, paint a
car, wire a television, cook a meal,
compute an accounting problem,
type a memo and draft building
plans.
The more advanced courses of
fer students a chance to put what
they have learned into practice.
Students in the health occupa
tions courses learn to read blood
pressure gauges, take temperatures
and make up hospital beds as part
of their training.
Many even get the chance to
work at the local rest home, taking
care of elderly patients a few hours
each week.
In the business department,
students also get "hands-on ex
perience" by working with manual
and electric typewriters and com
puters.
In the advanced courses,
students enjoy the feel of the "real
office atmosphere" as instructors
train students in the different jobs
in an office setting, Gillis said.
At present, the business depart
ment is working with some manual
and some electric typewriters.
The beginning typing class is left
to master "the old system" for the
time being, but Gillis is optimistic
that "all that is going to change
next year."
"We are going to switch to all
electric typewriters next year," Gillis
said.
In addition to hands-on training
that most of the vocational educa
tion classes offer, two programs
provide students with the chance to
earn salaries as they learn.
Hoke High and Burlington In
dustries have joined together
through the Job Training Partner
ship Act (JTPA) to give students a
chance to have "on-the-job" train
ing and earn wages at the same
time, according to Gillis.
The job training is provided
through a Textile III course that is
offered at the high school.
The course is one of three
designed to give students "a better
understanding" of the textile in
dustry and how it works.
The first level "introduces" the
students to the industry while the
second level gives a "more detail
ed" account of what is required in
that industry, from safety regula
tions to plant management.
The third level gives the student
a chance to "occupy a temporary
position" with the industry.
Students in groups of two oc
cupy an eight-hour shift at Burl
ington with the industry picking up
the tab for the student's salary, ac
cording to Gillis.
A second vocational education
program, marketing and
distributive education, also
generates thousands of dollars
back into the county.
Through this program, students
are placed in sales-related jobs
from grocery store clerks to fast
food cooks.
Many of the students par
ticipating in this program can be
found working at the local fast
food restaurant or in a nearby
grocery store.
This program has brought in
over 535,000 to participating
students.
"These courses are good
because we have a lot of students
leaving high school and entering
the job market or going on to a
technical school," Gillis said.
In 1982, figures show that 33%
of Hoke's graduating class entered
the job market while 36% went on
to a technical school or community
college.
Now, with Burlington Industries
planning a million dollar expan
sion that calls for highly advanced
and computerized equipment and
the possibility that the other local
industries may follow suit, many
are wondering if Hoke students
will be able to keep up with the
new industrial surge.
"We are going to have to take a
close look at our vocational pro
grams to see if they meet the
changing industrial needs here.
"If they don't we may have to
re-direct programs to meet those
needs," Gillis added.
"We are doing what we can with
the resources we have. We try to
prioritize our needs.
"We are all looking to give
students every opportunity for
good job placement," he added.
"Naturally we are not complete
ly satisfied. We are always looking
to upgrade and improve our
courses," Gillis Mid.
"I think we haw a pretty strong
vocational program in this county.
It can only get stronger/'