NBC marks decade of career training

by Mary Le Arneal
Published 2/4/26

Fifty years ago North Bend Central High School was in a new building but kept some of the old offerings. Twenty-five years ago, 2001, things were much the same, there was still FFA, FBLA, Media Club, and a new one: FCCLA, Family Career Community Leaders of America.

Roy Wright helps Noah Bishop with a welding project as NBC's SkillsUSA team gets ready for state competition during a recent work night at the school.

Today with the increase use of computers many of the classes and even some of the clubs have changed.

One of the new ones is marking its 10th year. The Career Education/Work Based Learning program at NBC is lead by Katie Wright. This program has brought together many of the classes that used to be referred to as vocational training. It now covers fields that include health sciences, IT, engineering, manufacturing, business/marketing and agriculture. It is all CTE, Career and Technical Education.

The CTE as a department at NBC includes business classes, family consumer science, ag, skilled and technical sciences, and career education/work-based learning.

February is CTE Month. The SkillsUSA club is taking the week of Feb. 9-13 to celebrate CTE with “‘Merica Monday,” “Tools of the Trade Tuesday,” “Workplace Wear Wednesday,” “Think BIG Thursday,” and “Futures Friday.”

Thursday, Feb. 12, is a job fair that will be held at NBC from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. during TAP and lunch for students in grades 8-12 to be able to spend time networking with professionals and learn about all they have to offer. There were 20 groups signing up the first day the invitation was sent.

Commemorating the ten years of Career Education at NBC is not just a reason for NBC to celebrate. Its reach has been wide. NBC has had a number of schools visit in recent years and even more reach out for guidance in how the students are managed, to get the internship guidebook to assist the community partners, parents and students through the process of landing an internship and maintaining all the necessary paperwork for transportation, liability, etc. to ensure a safe and valuable experience for all involved.

“SkillsUSA and CTE classes at North Bend have helped me prepare for my future career in the agriculture industry,” sophomore Bret Peters said. “I’ve developed skills by competing and practicing for qualifications for the state contest and the state contest itself. I have learned skills like welding, small details while making a sculpture for the welding sculpture competition at state this year.”

Wright said an exciting developments for CTE at NBC include a new grant program through the NBC Foundation for certifications, licensures and credentialing.

Alyssa Nelson teaches intro to culinary and nutrition, Culinary I, Culinary II, child development and intro to health sciences and med terms as part of the CTE curriculum.

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