Warren County Career Center IT students enjoying the benefits of a partnership with the University of Cincinnati
Recent Warren County Career Center graduates are the first batch of students to earn a high school diploma and enter college as sophomores through a partnership with University of Cincinnati. Additionally, a select group of students were able to gain paid work experience working for UC.
Students at Warren County Career Center enrolled in the Information Technology program have been eligible since 2017 to receive college credit while still in high school. Upon receiving their diploma, the students are then able to enroll in the IT program at the University of Cincinnati as a sophomore. The students take special courses throughout their high school career and upon completion they earn their diploma and qualify to begin their pursuit of a bachelor's degree in IT from UC. The agreement also includes a provision which allows students to earn money before beginning their university studies working at the UC IT Solutions Center.
In May 2020, three students graduated from Springboro High School and the Warren County Career Center with their diplomas, automatic admission to UC, and their first year of college credits under their belt. AJ Pugh, Chris Brady, and Alex Black also had the opportunity to get paid, hands-on experience working in the UC IT Solutions Center over the summer. Director of the IT Solutions Center, Ahmed ElQuosey is pleased with the arrangement, as he explained in a release from WCCC, "It enables us to discover talent very early on and deliver great service to our clients." The student-workers were equally pleased with their experience, stating that they learned more about workflow and the tools at their disposal all through summer.
The students took a specific set of courses throughout their high school years to qualify for this opportunity. The arrangement requires participants to complete six college-level IT courses as well as math, english, and humanities credits to be eligible to enter UC as a sophomore. An additional course is required in the first semester of their senior year at high school to be eligible for the paid summer work opportunity. Instructors from both WCCC and UC praised the program and its outcomes. Mrs. Jennifer Conard of WCCC commented, "It has been great to see Chris, Alex and AJ accomplish what they have so far." UC Professor Dr Hazem Said emphasized the collaborative nature of the program, "It takes a village to bring the Early IT program together, and to elevate the quantity, quality, and diversity of the IT talent in our region, state, and nation. I am very grateful to all our partners."