For the longest time, Aleigha Lyons thought she would not go to college.
Lyons is from Lisbon, 北达科他, where her family owns an auto body shop. 她从高中二年级开始在这家店工作. 一年后, 在放假的一天, Lyons toured 澳门新葡京官方网站’s campus in Wahpeton. The tour started Lyons on her current path as a first year auto body repair and 再加工 technology student.
Lyons is one of the 2,942 females making up more than 43% of ndsc’ total enrollment. 职业和技术教育计划包括:1,334名女性占入学人数的35%. 职业和技术教育每年二月被认可, 呼吁人们关注像汽车工业这样的高需求领域, 建设, 电气技术, 暖通空调/ R技术, 管道, 焊接及其他.
莱昂斯说:“如果你在考虑这个问题，那就去调查一下。. “不要害怕. 我吓坏了. 我知道这听起来很蠢. 是的，人们会看着你. They might not think you’re doing to do a good job because you’re a woman. 那就是你证明他们错了的时候.”
丽安娜·杰普森是电气技术专业的二年级学生. A fateful experience at Kennedy Secondary School, Fergus Falls, 明尼苏达州, redirected her priorities.
“I was peer pressured into joining a robotics club meeting after school,杰普森说, 对着回忆微笑. “这真的激发了我新的一面. 以前，我非常聪明，一心想成为一名数学老师. Now, I was working with my hands, critically thinking, looking at designs. 我看了ndsc，想成为一名电工. 感觉这是一条通往那里的自然之路.”
The most enjoyable, and constant, experience for Jepson has been retraining her brain.
“我上了很多不同的课. When I started this, I was so certain, ‘I’m going to be an electrician.“现在, 我看到确实有很多机会, 作为一名电工, 或者是程序员, 或者是一个估计量,”她说。.
Ivan Maas是ndsc建筑系统技术部门的主席, 包括电, HVAC/R和管道. A student may arrive without real world experience, but he or she won’t leave without it.
“Most of our programs, or at least the three I work with, heavily involve lab work,” Maas said. “The bulk of the equipment they work on is literally the same equipment they will work on and service when they get out in the industry. 它不是训练师，也不是虚拟的东西. 这是同样的设备.”
Peer-to-peer interaction is greatly important for career and technical students, Maas said. Sexism would be a hindrance, especially when capability is the driving criteria.
“不要担心别人怎么想,卡丽莎·戈兹达尔说, 来自法戈的小松柴油一年级学生, 北达科他. “在柴油机里，没人在乎你是不是女人. 没有哪个老师或男生对我不一样. If you’re doing your work right, good, on time and efficiently, no one cares.”
Gozdal是一名资助学生, whose education will be followed by time with the company that helped pay for it. Students continue to look for and pursue opportunities to either assist with or redefine education choices.
Brooke Glynn is a third year 建设 management student from Fullerton, 北达科他. She has already graduated from architectural drafting and estimating, 同时也是北达科他州国民警卫队的一员. It was through the latter organization that Glynn began her work as a carpentry specialist.
“我真的很喜欢. It was hands-on work that I decided to ultimately pursue,” Glynn said. “在经历了军队建设之后, I went to look for a college that would provide me more opportunities.”
Glynn will graduate this year with a degree in 建设 management. She seeks to find a 完整的-time job as an architectural drafter or assistant 建设 manager, 努力成为一名建筑经理.
“Don’t care about what other people think of you,” Glynn said to young women. “专注于你的工作，尽你所能.”
Terry Marohl是ndsc交通部门的负责人. He is also impressed at the amount of camaraderie and interest in shared success among career and technical education students.
“We’re all about getting individuals ready for the workforce, with hands-on career experience. 当我们招募的时候，我们是在为我们的项目招募学生. 工业需求非常大. The opportunities are there, but the demand is greater than the supply,” Marohl said.
莉莉里德, 威尔玛大学焊接技术专业的一年级学生, 明尼苏达州, is another student whose mind was broadened when she got to try something new. 多亏了一个高中女生焊接课.
“我想追求我的激情，做我喜欢的事情. 我热爱我的工作. 如果我没有去一个更大的(高中), 我就不会去参加我现在参加的这个项目,里德说.
像她的同龄人一样, Reed sees making a career from a career and technical education program as of matter of doing what she enjoys and can see herself continuing to do.
“不管它在哪个领域，或者是否由男性主导. 去向他们证明你自己吧。”里德说.
“Sometimes you’re put on a pedestal and sometimes you’re put down,杰普森说. 无论哪种情况，你都必须忠于自己的信念. 你必须知道你想做什么，了解你的工作，并把它做好. 最后，你会赚很多钱.”
文章由Frank Stanko为 沃顿每日新闻 2023年2月1日.
