Temple ISD, located in Central Texas, is a 6A district with over 8,700 diverse and vibrant students. Over 200 National Merit Scholar Award Winners have graduated from Temple High School, and students in the district have exceeded state and national SAT/ACT averages for more than 15 consecutive years.
Temple ISD is Preparing Students for Success
To establish strong school leadership and planning, TISD focuses on providing a high-quality curriculum, a positive school culture, and maintaining a well-supported, effective staff.
TISD has a CTE (Career and Technical Education) program called Wildcat Workforce designed to help students collaborate with local employers and boost postsecondary success. CTE programs focus on a curriculum that teaches academic, employability, and technical skills for specific occupational groups. The program prepares students for college and joining the workforce by bridging the gap between high school and higher education.
In addition to offering career-centered curriculum, Temple hosts events like job fairs to help students get a head start. These events allow students to pass out resumes, make face-to-face connections with employers in the city, and even consider opportunities that may not have been aware of before.
Wildcat Workforce Connects Students with Local Businesses & Institutions
With a curriculum path for every industry, students have a head start for their college courses. Not only will they be exposed to the rigorous and specialized curriculum of a college course, they also have the opportunity to work with local businesses and institutions. Though students can choose a career cluster for any industry, the focus on STEM education falls in line with the business environment of Temple.
The Information Technology Career Cluster prepares students for IT occupations such as computer science, software development, and cybersecurity. This cluster works with local employers like PDI, CGI, and McLane Technology Partners. Tech industry careers are expected to grow exponentially in Temple, providing ample opportunities for young professionals.
Read more about PDI, McLane Technology Partners, and other tech businesses in Temple here.
The Health Science Career Cluster focuses on careers in biotechnology, research and development, therapeutic services, and health diagnostics services. The Health Science Cluster partners with institutions like Baylor Scott and White Health, Department of Aging and Disability (DADS), and Temple College. Temple is a hub for healthcare, so specializing in this particular career cluster will benefit students in the long-term.
The Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications Career Cluster focuses on arts and design, journalism, and entertainment services and multi-media content. This cluster partners with Woodward Creative Group, an advertising agency in Temple. They offer branding and logos, website design, graphic design, and advertising services. Students interested in pursuing a career in graphic design, communications, or advertising will have the opportunity to see business in motion through the program’s collaboration with Woodward Creative Group.
Earning Dual-Credit Has a Positive Impact on Students
Within the Wildcat Workforce program, students have the opportunity to choose industry-specific, college-level courses while still in high school. The credits they earn apply to their high school transcript but can also be transferred to a community college or four-year university. This offers several short-term and long-term benefits for students such as:
- Seamless transition from high school to college
- Greater likelihood of success in subsequent collegiate work
- Greater likelihood of earning a high school diploma and a college degree
- Reduced cost of enrolling in higher education courses
- Opportunity to access college facilities and resources such as tutoring services, computer labs, and counseling services
- Enhances skills required to be successful at the collegiate level such as time management skills, critical thinking skills, study skills, and following directions and procedures
Students who take dual-credit courses are exposed to the rigor of college courses early on, resulting in a smoother transition from secondary to postsecondary education.
Taking dual-credit courses in high school also helps many students to graduate college early. This is not only due to the head start on their college transcript, but also because they are pre-exposed to college-level courses.
Dual-credit enrollment also helps high school students to save money. Dual-credit students pay less for college courses than traditional college students. Not only are students saving money on dual-credit courses, the ability to graduate early saves them money down the road.
The Wildcat Market Benefits Students & the Community
It’s one thing to memorize the curriculum for a particular career cluster, but to apply that knowledge through hands-on learning will take students much further. The Wildcat Market helps students practice their skills by selling products and services to the community.
The market provides affordable products and services to the community while supporting the next generation of the workforce. The services involve a range of career clusters from accounting to automotive to manufacturing . You can see a full list of services here, or visit the Wildcat Market website to purchase student made products.
The Wildcat Workforce program in TISD fosters career readiness in Temple by connecting students with local businesses, offering dual-credit courses, and encouraging real-world experience. Not only does the program prepare students for success, it benefits the entire community by adding to the pool of talented workers. With a community that is both family friendly and business friendly, the city offers bountiful opportunities for young students.
Learn more about education and career paths in the area to see how your student can prosper in Temple, Texas.