Southland Career & Technical Education Center
Reshaping Lives
Through Enhanced Education
CTE TRAINING AREAS
CONSTRUCTION TRADES
Program Overview:
A workforce that builds communities – many “Lincoln-hearted5” men and women are needed to meet the demands of the U.S. labor force. Construction is a $1 trillion industry in the U.S. that seeks qualified and quality individuals. From homes to skyscrapers, a career in the Construction Trades has many opportunities to fulfill one’s work-life preferences.
The construction trades – carpenters, welders, plumbers, electricians, etc. –demands both critical thinking and great attention to detail for its workforce. To build communities requires a foundational knowledge of construction systems and specialized areas of focus for more intense hands-on, minds-on learning in such areas as plumbing, HVAC, and electrical.
Example Course Work:
- Construction Mathematics
- Construction Documents
- Estimating
- Project Management
- Rough Carpentry
- Plumbing Systems
- Electrical Systems
- Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning Systems
Career Opportunities:
- Construction Manager
- Carpenter
- Plumber
- Electrician
- HVAC Technician
AVIATION
Program Overview:
Aviation is a major in-demand field in the U.S. and globally: especially in careers involving avionics, drones, pilot certifications, and weather meteorology. The U.S. transportation industry moves over 10 million passengers and approximately $18 billion worth of goods daily. Yet, the Federal Aviation Administration reports the number of pilot certificates has decreased by more than 60% since the 1980s. This supply and demand mismatch provides tremendous opportunity for learners to explore careers in aviation. An aviation program will offer students the opportunity to explore all facets of the industry, from the mechanics of flight to taking to the air as a pilot in training.
Example Course Work:
- Aviation Maintenance
- Principals of Avionics
- Aviation Theory and Navigation
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
- Weather Theory and Meteorology
Career Opportunities:
- Airline Pilot
- Aerospace Engineer
- Aircraft Mechanic
- Avionics Technician
- Drone Pilot
- Airframe or Airpower Mechanic
- Climatologist
- Meteorologist (public and private)
- Environmental Scientist
URBAN AGRICULTURE
Program Overview:
The key to a career in Urban Agriculture is a creative approach to producing food and plant material in smaller spaces. Urban farms occupy cities, the urban fringe, towns, and suburbs. They not only provide fresh, local, nutritious food for urban and suburban consumers, they also benefit the urban economy by supporting local business: farm-to-table, greenhouses and nurseries, soil sciences, and water systems. Urban Agriculture learners will master the specific skills of urban food production, including marketing, distribution, post-harvest processing, and storage applications.
Example Course Work:
- Biology including Microbiology
- Agribusiness
- Natural Resources
- Food Science
- Horticulture
- Gardening
- Water Systems
Career Opportunities:
- Food Engineer
- Agriculture Manager
- Farm Manager
- Agronomist
- Soil Scientist
- Geneticist
MANUFACTURING TRADES
Program Overview:
The watchwords of the manufacturing trades are
creativity, precision, and logistical skills. The world relies on manufactured goods. The U.S. represents approximately 18 percent of the world’s capacity in manufacturing or $1.9 trillion annually. The manufacturing sector demands workers that are creative and precise while being technologically adept in order to integrate technological processes into advanced manufacturing.
Graduates will practice and master the real-world skills required for these very demanding jobs and be prepared to not only “get the product out-the-door, but to get it in-the-hands of consumers.”
Example Course Work:
- Advanced Manual Machining
- Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining
- Robotics and Automation
- Advanced Welding Technologies
- Assembly and Production Technologies
- Logistics
Career Opportunities:
- CNC Machinist
- Robotics Technician
- Logistic Engineer
- CAD Drafter
- Mechanical Engineer
- Instrument Technician
- Welder
PUBLIC SAFETY
Program Overview:
To protect and serve is a very personal career choice and based on one’s interest: law enforcement, firefighting, crime prevention, emergency services, forensics, security, intelligence, or technology. When lives are at risk, it takes a special kind of person to answer the call. From rescues to lending a helping hand, a public safety career offers many opportunities to serve families, neighbors, and communities and to protect our streets, buildings, and transportation venues. A public safety program allows learners to explore careers that are both personally rewarding and community-focused.
Example Course Work:
- Criminal Justice (CJ): Arrest and Search Procedures
- CJ: Crime Scene Procedures
- CJ: Court Procedures
- Firefighting Technology: Structure Fires
- Firefighting Technology: Search and Rescue
- Firefighting Technology: Pre-hospital Medical Training
- EMT and Paramedic: Basic Life Support
Career Opportunities:
- Law Enforcement: Police Patrol,
Security Guard, Investigators - Forensics: Scene Investigation
- Firefighter: Municipal and Forest
- EMT
- Paramedic
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Program Overview:
To be successful in an Information Technology (IT) career requires being proficient in the industry’s hard skills (hardware, software, apps, and search tools) and the soft-technical skills (problem-solving, critical thinking, technical reading and writing, and creativity). An IT professional also must apply mathematics, English, and science skills to a technology project.
IT careers also require attention to the ever-changing landscape of the field and the ability to thrive in that robust environment. The ability to troubleshoot and to learn advanced digital skills is a must. The IT program is intended to prepare learners for the next challenge: professions that demand hands-on, minds-on skills.
Example Course Work:
- Application Software
- Computer Networking
- Telecommunications and Electronics
- Cyber Security
- Cloud Computing
- Soft-Technical Skills
Career Opportunities:
- Cyber Security Specialist
- Computer Network Professional
- Networking and Telecommunications Contractor
- Software Engineer
- Help Desk Support
- Forensic Accounting
LOGISTIC AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Program Overview:
Nationally, the transportation industry projects a 5% growth rate through 2023 for Logistics & Supply Chain Management (SCM) positions. Logisticians coordinate the movement of goods––acquiring, storing, and transporting––along the supply chain to their final destination. Supply chain managers coordinate the flow of those goods while overseeing how products are created from raw materials to finished products. The supply chain––a network of entities and individuals––moves goods to that final destination.
Transportation, material moving, and warehousing represent 5.4% of all jobs in Illinois: air, rail, water, truck, transit, warehousing, and storage, etc. Between 2018 and 2028, this sector is projected to grow by 27% (about 528,724 new job openings) with annual job openings of 67,450. There are 10,672 Logistics & SCM employer locations in Illinois and 6,661 of them are located in the Northeast Economic Development Region (NEDR).
Example Course Work:
Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics (TDL) Basics
Air, Rail, Road, Water Modes
Logistics & Supply Chain Management
Transportation Mathematics
Purchasing & Procurement
RFID, GPS, GIS, & LOT
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Material Handling & Warehousing
Career Opportunities:
- Cyber Security Specialist
- Computer Network Professional
- Networking and Telecommunications Contractor
- Software Engineer
- Help Desk Support
- Forensic Accounting