This paper appears in the September 2021 edition of ASNT’s journal, Materials Evaluation. It is included here in its entirety.

by Jill Ross

.

High schools in the United States are taking a fresh look at the future of career and technical education with the implementation of new learning pathways that lead directly to the workforce, including the nondestructive testing (NDT) industry. These programs directly connect high school curriculums with post-secondary education and employment, reaching kids as young as junior high.

This resurgence in technical education can be traced to the current demand for “new collar” jobs—jobs that require a post-secondary degree, although not necessarily a four-year college degree. The demand for new collar jobs continues to increase, as millions of jobs requiring only a high school diploma have disappeared. Harvard’s influential Pathways to Prosperity report, released in 2011, warned that nearly two-thirds of new jobs of the 2010s would require more than a high school education—yet only 40% of Americans had obtained an associate or bachelor’s degree by their mid-20s (Harvard 2011).

In response, a new vision of 21st century vocational training is emerging across the United States. Vocational education has traditionally taught students how to weld or how to fix a car. Today’s career and technical education encompasses a wide variety of industries and skills. Students are learning to code software, design websites, or operate robots and artificial intelligence systems that have replaced manual labor jobs across much of the economy. Through new technical and career programs, high school students have the opportunity to learn valuable skills, gain job experience and support from participating sponsor companies and mentors, and complete coursework to graduate with a high school diploma and, often, an associate degree as well.

This article explores new high school technical and career programs in Texas, Minnesota, and North Carolina that specifically provide a pathway to careers in NDT. These new initiatives are fueled by the desires of students, parents, and educators for options outside of the traditional four-year college path, as well as urgent workforce needs within industry. Support from local industry and academia (such as community colleges) are essential to the success of the programs.

The Dilemma

NDT workers are aging out of the workforce. The average age of an NDT worker continues to increase—now 47 years (PQNDT 2019). As these individuals move toward retirement, the industry is poised to lose valuable knowledge that comes from years of training and hands-on experience.

Nationwide, more than 600 000 skilled jobs are going unfilled right now owing to a lack of qualified workers. According to an analysis done by Deloitte, between now and 2025 more than 2 million manufacturing jobs will go unfilled in the United States (Deloitte 2021). The same situation exists in both the building trades and healthcare fields. Between now and 2029, the nation’s skilled workforce shortage will worsen significantly as the remaining Baby Boomer generation hits retirement age.

According to PQNDT (2020), industry demand for workers remains high. NDT encompasses many industries: spacecraft, aircraft, trains, pipelines, power plants, turbines, naval ships, submarines, and all manner of bridges and construction equipment. With few exceptions, every critical thing manufactured requires initial and, in some cases, continuing inspection.

The three school districts profiled in this paper are actively meeting industry demand head-on: the Rose M. Avalos Pathways in Technology Early College High (P-TECH) School, which is part of the Aldine Independent School District (ISD) in Houston, Texas; the TigerPath STREAM Academy, at Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Minnesota, augmented by the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program; and the Career & College Promise program administered by the State of North Carolina. While they vary in the specifics of their administration and funding, all are focused on providing high school students with more opportunities to jumpstart their workplace and college preparation. (See sidebar at the end of this blog post for more on P-TECH schools.)

Rose M. Avalos P-TECH School

Aldine ISD opened Avalos P-TECH School just in time for the start of the 2019–2020 academic school year. The school offers four program study options and degree plans for high school students, referred to as “Pathways in Technology.” The four pathways are computer and digital technology; energy, manufacturing, and construction; business and professional services; and teaching degrees and certifications.

NDT is one of the programs offered within the energy, manufacturing, and construction pathway. Students who attend Avalos P-TECH are dual enrolled in high school and college courses through Lone Star College, a Houston-area community college, starting immediately in the 9th grade. By the end of their senior year, students will graduate with a high school diploma as well as workforce certificates and potentially an associate degree in applied sciences (AAS). Students can earn up to 60 hours of tuition-free college credit as a high school student, saving thousands of dollars toward college tuition costs. P-TECH schools are based on a national model developed in 2011.

Newly built in 2019, Avalos P-TECH School shares a campus with Lone Star College’s East Aldine Center on a 15.97-acre parcel of land. The two buildings, comprising 65 000 ft² (6039 m²), are connected to allow high school students easy access to the technical classes in Lone Star’s East Aldine Center. The building was built with the last of the funds from Bond 2015, a US$798 million bond for the construction of new schools, renovations, enhancements, and other projects to meet the growth needs of the school district for over a five-year period.

“When the idea for the new Avalos campus was first conceived, we had pretty short notice,” said Robert L. Thomas, Program Director in Career & Technical Education for Aldine ISD. “We needed to design four new programs, fast.” In his position, Thomas, who is one of five program directors for the district, is involved with establishing new programs, as well as finding and maintaining relationships with industry sector partners and helping 8th graders plan their course of study. His focus areas currently include NDT, materials design, electronics, distribution/logistics, and private aviation.

Thomas said he immediately thought of NDT for one of the new programs. He recalled earlier conversations with Jerry Fulin, who was a member of the Aldine CTE District Advisory Council in the early 2000s. Fulin is a longtime ASNT member and advocate for the NDT industry, promoting NDT at local high schools during career days and often going back to present to individual classrooms. Through the years, Fulin and Thomas had crossed paths and built a professional relationship with a common interest in career education.

Thomas said the district typically considers many factors in establishing a new program. First, there must be market data that supports the choice. Second, there should be a need for workers, and third, there must be industry partners willing to support the program.

NDT checked all the boxes. Houston is central to many industries that need NDT, like George Bush Intercontinental Airport and the Houston Ship Channel, plus numerous other industries including oil and gas. “These industries are always after us for workers,” said Thomas. Additionally, there was already a well-established and respected NDT AAS program available at Lone Star College. “Lone Star has been a great partner for us,” said Thomas. “They have a complementary interest in recruiting high school students, and this provides a natural progression from high school to community college and maybe even a four-year degree.”

Eighth graders seeking admission must apply to the program, meaning that kids as young as 12 or 13 are learning about NDT. Thomas says the goal is to eventually build to 100 students in the Inspection Technology pathway, with 25 students in each grade 9 through 12. For the inaugural 2019 class, 30 students were placed in the program. “We wanted to plan for success while anticipating attrition, so we admitted 30 students,” said Thomas. “But now, coming into the 2021–2022 school year, we have lost only two students, which is great.”

The students are selected through a blind lottery. When applying, they select their first, second, and third choice for a program. There are a lot of programs in the Aldine ISD to choose from, from autobody to welding. “Some people think that we give the kids too many choices, that it can be overwhelming,” said Thomas. “But this district serves a population that is 85% economically disadvantaged. It does not help these kids to give them fewer options. [More options] help expose them to future career opportunities.”

Because of its focus on college readiness and programs of study, Avalos P-TECH School does not offer activities such as athletics, band, and choir. As well, P-TECH students may not take part in such activities at another Aldine ISD campus. Instead, students have access to mentors, internships, workforce skill workshops, and job shadowing from their industry of interest. Industry partners for the program include DRILCO, IMI Critical Engineering, ITC Innovative Turnaround Controls, Brown & Root, KBR, Oceaneering, Schlumberger, Oceanscan Inc., Bechtel, Goodman-Daikin, and the Greater Houston Manufacturers Association.

Aldine ISD has enjoyed a close relationship with Lone Star College for many years. More than 30 years ago, a group of community members and Aldine ISD administrators founded a nonprofit organization, the Aldine Scholarship Foundation (ASF). ASF raises funds to send Aldine ISD graduates to Lone Star College (these are open to all high school students, not just those enrolled in a technology pathway). Every year, ASF endowments generate 130 scholarships annually for Aldine ISD, with many attending LSC-North Harris and the East Aldine Center (where the NDT program is based). The partnership was also instrumental in opening the East Aldine Center in 2019, the location of Avalos P-TECH.

____________________________________________________________

About Lone Star College

Lone Star College comprises seven college campuses, two university centers (where students can earn bachelor and graduate degrees), 10 additional centers, 11 independent school district (ISD) partners, and more than 85 000 enrolled students. The full NDT program is offered at LSC-North Harris in Houston, Texas, where students can earn the inspection technology specialization AAS degree along with certificates. Programs are stackable: for example, Level I and Level II certificates may be applied toward the AAS degree.

lonestar.edu

____________________________________________________________

TigerPath STREAM Academy

In Hutchinson, Minnesota, the TigerPath Academies were established in 2015 with the recognition that the educational outcomes being achieved did not match the real-world needs of high school students. Based at Hutchinson High School (HHS), TigerPath has grown to become a community-wide effort to better prepare students for their future.

According to the Hutchinson Economic Development Authority (EDA), ongoing communications with Hutchinson manufacturers had revealed a significant and growing shortage of skilled workers (Hutchinson EDA 2019). “The jobs are there, but no qualified individuals are available to fill them. Just among our manufacturers, I have more than 100 job openings today that we can’t get filled,” said Miles Seppelt, Economic Development Director for the City of Hutchinson.

The City of Hutchinson is not alone in this: research indicates that more than 12 000 skilled jobs in the state of Minnesota are going unfilled right now owing to a lack of qualified workers. “In Minnesota only 17% of all the jobs require a bachelor’s degree or higher. For 83% of the jobs, two years or less of education past high school gets you fully qualified to do that work,” said Seppelt, adding that on the national level, 33% of jobs require a bachelor’s degree or above because more jobs on the East and West Coasts typically have higher education requirements.

“So, the reality is that two-thirds of all jobs in the economy require two years or less of education. This education/job market mismatch has resulted in escalating college costs, growing student debt, rising underemployment of college graduates, and a growing shortage of the skilled workers our economy needs. Systemic change is needed,” said Seppelt.

“Our solution to that is TigerPath, and our goal is to get rid of ‘bachelor bias’ and hopefully move students toward education and career paths that actually match the job market,” Seppelt said. “The good news is that it’s working! We’re seeing more of our high school graduates choose community/technical college options and fewer going toward bachelor programs.” He emphasized that the EDA has nothing against four-year schools. “We’re just saying that a bachelor’s degree is not for every single person. We want students to follow their own path and not just default to a four-year school because that’s what you’re ‘supposed’ to do,” said Seppelt.

The STREAM Academy is one of four TigerPath Academies offered at HHS. STREAM focuses on the areas of science, technology, renewables, engineering, art, agriculture, mathematics, and manufacturing. The other three academies are “Sci Hi” (focusing on healthcare), business (focusing on the for-profit sector), and human services (focusing on civil and social services). Free college credit can also be earned by taking classes offered through the TigerPath Academies, thus reducing future student debt.

TigerPath intends to flip the college decision-making process from asking “Where do I want to go?” to “What do I want to be?”—and this conversation begins when students are in 8th grade. Based on career assessments, interest, and aptitude, school counselors work with parents and students on their academy schedules.

If they are not sure, students can enroll in one academy and later switch to another. “We’d much rather have students switch academies in high school than after two or three years of college! The goal is for students to find the best educational and career path specifically for them,” said Andrea Moore, TigerPath Coordinator at Hutchinson Public Schools.

Ridgewater College, also located in Hutchinson, is a sustaining partner of TigerPath Academies. Sustaining partners provide financial support to the TigerPath program. Industry sponsors also help facilitate the program, with groups such as 3M, Millerbernd Manufacturing, Curtiss-Wright, and the Duane Arnold Energy Center of Iowa providing equipment donations, industry experts, and financial support.

One industry sponsor, Curtiss-Wright, has taken an active role in supporting both the TigerPath Academies and Ridgewater College’s NDT program. They maintain an on-campus office at Ridgewater College, where they provide students with career guidance as well as internship and networking opportunities. In return, the industry at large benefits from having more skilled NDT technicians ready to accept these vital positions.

“We believe that the best time to reach students is in the early stage of their careers,” said Jeremy Timm, Curtiss-Wright’s on-campus senior manager. Timm, who is also a certified Principal Level III with more than 30 years of industry experience, added, “NDT has been a huge part of my life and has opened doors for me that many people don’t know about.” In addition to providing onsite support, Curtiss-Wright has donated specialized NDT equipment to Ridgewater College—keeping their facilities current with the latest industry technologies—and provides subject matter experts to cover subjects ranging from general lessons to highly technical NDT topics.

TigerPath has become a multi-award-winning initiative: the Hutchinson Public School District won a 2017 Local Government Innovation Award from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, and the City of Hutchinson won the 2017 City of Excellence Award from the League of Minnesota Cities and the 2018 Annual Economic Development Award from the Mid-America Economic Development Council (2019).

Minnesota high school students also have the option to take classes directly at Ridgewater through the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program. PSEO is a statewide program that allows public and nonpublic students in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades to earn college credit while still in high school. Both public and nonpublic 10th-grade students in Minnesota can enroll initially in one Career and Technical Education course through PSEO. If the student earns a “C” or higher grade in this first course, they are eligible to take additional courses.

“We actually have quite a few students who are taking NDT classes at Ridgewater College through the PSEO program,” said Jerry L. Voelker, Nondestructive Testing Instructor at Ridgewater College.

“This is a great program for high school kids to get a significant head start into college while still in high school. Students can take Ridgewater College NDT courses, as well as many other programs through other Minnesota colleges, and the credits are scheduled for attendance during the day, just as normal high school classes. They can also take online classes through the program,” said Voelker. “There are some programs that are excluded, but Ridgewater NDT is not one. I often see high school PSEO kids in my ‘Introduction to NDT’ class trying to decide if NDT is right for them.”

____________________________________________________________

About Ridgewater College

A community and technical college, Ridgewater offers more than 100 educational programs in transfer and technical education—including NDT—at campuses in Hutchinson and Willmar, Minnesota. The Nondestructive Testing Technology Program is part of the Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Technology area of study at Ridgewater and is the longest-running NDT program in the United States. Degrees include AAS as well as certificates.

ridgewater.edu

____________________________________________________________

Career & College Promise

Career & College Promise is North Carolina’s dual enrollment program for high school students, established in 2012 by the North Carolina legislature. This program allows eligible high school students to enroll in college classes at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) in Charlotte, North Carolina, through their local high school. Career & College Promise classes are tuition-free (funded by the state) and designed for students who wish to stay at their current high school while earning college credit.

Career & College Promise offers two pathways: the College Transfer Pathway, designed for students who are planning to continue their education beyond high school and eventually earn an associate or bachelor’s degree; and the Career & Technical Education Pathway, which leads to a certificate, diploma, or degree with a focus toward a career field, such as mechatronics, healthcare, computer science, and even NDT. The Nondestructive Examination Technology – Surface Examination Pathway is one of 50 pathways offered within the Career & Technical Education Pathway. The program offers 12 college credit hours and includes classes on an introduction to nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and materials processes, as well as visual testing (VT), liquid penetrant testing (PT), and magnetic particle testing (MT).

The NDE/Surface Examination Pathway is a relatively new program. Currently, there are three high school students enrolled in the pathway. “The program is very much in its infancy,” said Rand Ernst, who is the NDE Program Chair/Skilled Trades Division at CPCC. “The overwhelming majority of NDT students we see at CPCC are adults looking for a second career, so it’s exciting to see a new program that introduces high school students to NDT.”

NDT is an important industry in North Carolina. According to Ernst, the three major industries are shipbuilding, energy, and construction, although aerospace is a close fourth.

Previously, the program was open for 11th and 12th grade levels only, but it’s now open for students beginning in 9th grade. Students must meet transfer pathway criteria to enroll. A minimum 2.8 GPA is required for 11th and 12th graders entering the program. Ninth and 10th graders can take a placement test or submit results from the PSAT or a similar test to be admitted.

“It’s really amazing that kids have this opportunity now, to essentially get a college degree for free,” said Ernst. In the NDE/Surface Examination Pathway, students start in a certificate program for the surface examination methods (VT, MT, and PT) but if they complete those, they can start taking classes in the full NDE degree program. “Depending on the student, and when they were able to start, they have the ability to complete half or more of the associate degree while they’re still in high school,” said Ernst. The certificates also count toward classroom training hours for Level I certification.

“Really, the key is to get the word out to parents,” Ernst said. “When the parents hear about this being only a two-year degree, tuition-free, and the potential wages that can be earned in this industry, they get very excited.”

One of Ernst’s current students is 19-year-old Alex Tecpoyotl-Lopez. He started taking classes during his senior year at Olympic High School in Charlotte (2020–2021).

“I found out about the program at my school at a career exploration night,” said Tecpoyotl-Lopez. “At that time I wanted to become a nuclear engineer, but I wasn’t sure where I could start.” After talking to a representative from CPCC, he found out that he could do NDE in nuclear power plants. “So I just signed up and gave it a try. At that time I didn’t even know what NDE was. One of the first methods I did was magnetic particle and once I did fluorescent testing, I was hooked. It was something I’ve never seen.

“The teachers in the NDE program are awesome people. They want to see you win,” he said. “Out of all my schooling in my 19 years, I’ve never had teachers like them. The College & Career Promise program gave me an opportunity that has opened so many doors. I would definitely recommend for anyone in high school to give it a shot.”

The North Carolina state legislature covers the cost of tuition for Career & College Promise. This funding allows students to take advantage of the program with fewer financial constraints. (There are costs such as transportation, books, and supplies that are not covered by the program; however, scholarships or grant money may be available.) Career & College Promise is offered statewide, further reducing geographic barriers in access to education (Deal 2020).

____________________________________________________________

About Central Piedmont Community College

Central Piedmont Community College is a public community college in Charlotte, North Carolina. With an enrollment of more than 50 000 students annually, Central Piedmont is the second largest community college in the North Carolina Community College System and the largest in the Charlotte metropolitan area. Students can earn an associate degree, work toward a four-year degree, or take a direct path to employment with programs in 12 career fields with more than 55 professional pathways.

cpcc.edu

____________________________________________________________

In Conclusion

Although they’ve never really gone away, career and technical schools are enjoying a resurgence in the United States at a time when industries are in need of skilled workers and students stand to benefit from the economic opportunities of career and technical education. Right now, there is an opportunity to build a bridge between the knowledge and experience of the retiring workforce and the potential technicians of tomorrow, starting with raising awareness of the profession and providing training early on.

If the industries that utilize NDT want to maintain the incredible wealth of industry knowledge and skill that they have developed and built up over decades, they should consider taking an active role in sponsoring educational training programs and supporting the intergenerational relationships needed for knowledge transfer. The technical program pathways described in this article can provide a model of how school districts, higher education institutions, and industry can come together to meet the future workforce needs of the NDT industry, with the added benefit of exposing more young people to the amazing opportunities of spending a career creating a safer world.

____________________________________________________________

_______

Jill Ross is the Periodicals Editor at ASNT; jross@asnt.org

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank and acknowledge the following people for their contributions toward this article: Brenna Wolfe and Jenn Sinkiewicz, Curtiss-Wright Nuclear Division; Andrea Moore, Hutchinson Public Schools; Miles Seppelt, City of Hutchinson; and Jerry L. Voelker, Ridgewater College, for information and interviews regarding the TigerPath program; Jerry Fulin and Robert Thomas, Aldine ISD, for information and interviews regarding Rose M. Avalos P-TECH School; and Rand Ernst and Alex Tecpoyotl-Lopez for information and interviews regarding Central Piedmont Community College and NC Career & College Promise.

Citation

Materials Evaluation 79 (9): 864–873
https://doi.org/10.32548/2021.me-04251
©2021 American Society for Nondestructive Testing

References

Aldine ISD, 2019, “Aldine ISD Is Expanding College Opportunities for Students,” 10 February 2019, available at https://www.aldineisd.org/2019/02/10/aldine-isd-is-expanding-college-opportunities-for-students

Deal, S.A., 2020, “Perspective: Career and College Promise: A Premier College Access Program with Room for Growth,” 2 December 2020, available at https://www.ednc.org/perspective-career-and-college-promise-a-premier-college-access-program-with-room-for-growth/

Deloitte, 2021, “US Manufacturing Skills Gap Could Leave as Many as 2.1 Million Jobs Unfilled By 2030, Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute Study Finds,” 4 May 2021, available at https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/press-releases/deloitte-manufacturing-skills-gap.html

Harvard University, 2011, “Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century,” report, February 2011, available at https://www.gse.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/documents/Pathways_to_Prosperity_Feb2011-1.pdf

Hutchinson Economic Development Authority (EDA), 2019, “The TigerPath Initiative: Discovering Talent, Developing Skills, Building Careers,” report, available at https://hutchinsoneda.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/TigerPath-EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY-030119.pdf

IBM, 2020, “IBM Makes Education & Hiring More Inclusive Worldwide with P-TECH Model Expanding Across 28 Countries,” 17 November 2020, available at https://newsroom.ibm.com/2020-11-17-IBM-Makes-Education-Hiring-More-Inclusive-Worldwide-with-P-TECH-Model-Expanding-Across-28-Countries

Litow, S.S., 2016, “To Fix Our Schools, Build on P-TECH: A Brooklyn School Should Guide a New National Reform Conversation,” New York Daily News, 17 September 2016, available at https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/stan-litow-fix-schools-build-p-tech-article-1.2795429

Litow, S.S., 2020, “P-TECH High School Model Connects Students to College and Careers,” The Conversation, posted 22 October 2020 and updated 2 April 2021, available at https://theconversation.com/p-tech-high-school-model-connects-students-to-college-and-careers-146899

PQNDT, 2019, “PQNDT Salary & Benefits Survey 2019, Personnel for Quality and Nondestructive Testing,” available at https://www.pqndt.com/salary-survey-results

PQNDT, 2020, PQNDT Blog, “Where Will Our Future Techs Come From?” posted January 2020, available at https://www.pqndt.com/where-will-our-future-techs-come-from

PTECH.org, 2021, Schools Map, accessed 20 July 2021, available at https://www.ptech.org/p-tech-network/our-schools

TigerPath Academies, 2021, “What Is TigerPath?,” accessed 20 July 2021, available at https://hutchtigerpath.com

Trickey, E., 2019, “How Vocational Education Got a 21st Century Reboot,” Politico Magazine, 12 September 2019, available at https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/12/vocational-tech-school-training-policy-228049