HCOE TESI and TASI Programs expanding Tech Pathways in Humboldt County
In rural Humboldt County, educators are thinking outside of the box — and outside of the classroom — when it comes to high-demand tech careers. Entering its third year, the Technology Career Exploration Summer Institute (TESI) gives students a head start in information and communication technology, including intensive job shadowing, the chance to earn industry certifications, and half a unit of college credit, all at no cost.
“A lot of public schools don’t have either the funding or the teachers to be able to expose students to every career technical education pathway,” says William “Bill” Row, K12 Strong Workforce Program Pathway Coordinator. “TESI is a great way to provide that access to students who otherwise might not have had the opportunity.”
Sponsored by the Humboldt County Office of Education’s (HCOE) Career and College Resource Department, in partnership with the College of the Redwoods, the program puts students in touch with the latest, real world-applicable technology.
“Monday through Thursday, students are in the classroom at College of the Redwoods,” says Ann Marie Rocha, HCOE Program and Event Coordinator. “But on Friday ‘fun day,’ they are out in the community getting to see firsthand what technology careers look like.”
Last summer, students attended field trips and tours with local businesses like the engineering firm SHN Engineers & Geologists, Inc., Harper Motors car dealership, and Redwood Capital Bank, where students toured the vaults and talked to the senior vice president and chief information officer.
In the TESI Fundamentals course, students learn the basics and coding, gaining a wide overview of job-shadowing opportunities. In TESI AI, students learn about artificial intelligence and perform internships for three hours every Friday at local businesses, including the nonprofit Access Humboldt Media.
“We were able to give students a good introduction to using software and hardware to edit video,” says Clay McGlaughlin, Director of Information Technology and “IT guy” for Access Humboldt. Interns also practiced configuring operating systems across Windows, Mac, and Linux. “The idea is to find the skills that match student interest, whether they like troubleshooting, programming, or video and audio editing.”
McGlaughlin has worked in the industry for 25 years and sees the need increasing for tech professionals:
“Once you learn how to troubleshoot and fix problems, you are in demand. The TESI students will find a lifetime of engaging, fulfilling work.”
Student Matthew Coyle couldn’t agree more and says when he discovered TESI, he signed up right away: “It looked like a good opportunity, and there is not much like it in our rural area.”
While Coyle has done a lot of independent projects in computer science as an Academy of the Redwoods student, TESI allowed him to work in teams with like-minded learners from high schools across the county. His favorite project was working with an AI camera.
“We could modify the camera to do custom things,” beams the student. “It had a buzzer, so we made it play songs like the Super Mario Brothers theme song when it recognized someone’s face.”
Coyle helped write an AI program that translated musical sheets for the buzzer, a difficult project that paid off in new coding skills.
“I always look for interesting and challenging hands-on activities,” says instructor Aletta Sauer. Students also assembled the camera from a Google AIY Vision project kit using a Raspberry Pi computer on top of programming it. The instructor says, “Not only did we use the camera to try out image recognition and run models, but the students also looked at the processing to see what is happening on the backend.”
Unlike a typical classroom structure, TESI students can take a “deep dive” into the material, a whole new experience for many participants. Learners also used MIT App Inventor to code apps for Alexa, and this summer, students will use the Common Online Data Analysis Platform (CODAP) to explore data science. As the instructor says, “Companies have to manage so much data, so giving students industry tools to manage data is really important for their futures.”
Students range from having very little programming or computer science experience to students like Coyle, who has created video games on a web-based platform. But there’s plenty to glean from the program, even more experienced cadets like Coyle. “Matt told me after class, ‘I was learning something new every day,’” confides Sauer. “Since students are self-selecting, you can go deeper than you could in a regular classroom.”
Thanks to Coyle’s TESI experience, he landed an internship at the HCOE shadowing IT employees.
“They showed me how to add a new person into their network, and I got to walk around the buildings fixing computers,” says the thrilled student. “I can put it on my resume.”
Doug Lee, HCOE Director of Information Technology, is more than happy to have the new intern on board.
“We try to give interns the experience of what it would be like to actually work here,” says Lee. From building network cables to an entire computer or programming artificial intelligence bots, “there is no shortage of activities.
“We’ve seen a good cross-section of students — and they don’t all have to be Matthew Coyles to get involved in technology. It’s a broad enough field that there really is an opportunity for everyone.”
Thanks to K12SWP support, TESI has extended the offering to more students and added a second instructor. The program also expanded from three weeks to four, allowing more in-depth instruction and career exploration. Best of all, K12 Strong Workforce support also covers the cost of the CompTIA IT Fundamentals exam, giving students industry certifications to help them kick-start careers.
“In order to prepare for the CompTIA IT Fundamentals exam, students put in 40-80 hours of study time outside of the classroom time for the exam, and this is during their summer break. This speaks to their commitment to the program,” says Tanya Trump, Director of HCOE’s Career and College Resources. “This incredible summer experience wouldn’t be possible without K12SWP support.”
The summer institute model has been so successful that K12SWP support is helping to launch the inaugural Trades Academy Summer Institute (TASI) program. The free, two-week program teaches in-demand product manufacturing, welding, and construction skills. Students can also earn the valuable OSHA 10 certification. Every “fun Friday,” students will have job shadowing with local businesses, including welding and metal fabrication partner O&M Industries.
Instruction takes place at College of the Redwoods, and for many students, it will be their first time on a college campus. Trump says, “CR is excited about how these programs will spark interest in students enrolling at College of the Redwoods because students will already feel like they are a part of the college.”
The TASI program is especially timely as demand continues to spike. According to Row, between a new government-funded wind farm planned for Humboldt Bay and an incoming, major land-based fishery, developing a local talent pipeline is key. “One of our greatest exports is our young people,” says Row, who hopes that by giving learners skills needed locally, they can keep their talent closer to home. “These students could graduate and work their entire lives for companies here.”
From TESI to TASI, students county-wide can take advantage of in-demand CTE pathways, whether or not their school has those classes in place.
As Trump says, “The Strong Workforce Program has really allowed the county office to offer support to our districts to enhance student experiences outside of what they’re getting in the classroom and connect them with college and potential employment opportunities.”
May 2024
