1. What is the Van Buren Technology Center?

2. Which Schools Participate?

3. Who Issues Credit?

4. How Many Tech Center Programs Are Available?

5. What Are The National Career Clusters?

6. Which Tech Center Programs Offer College Credit?

7. Which Colleges Offer Dual Enrollment Credit (direct college credit)?

8. What is Articulated Credit?

9. Which Colleges Offer Articulated Credit through the Tech Center?

10. What Programs Offer State/NationalCertification or Other Licensure?

11. What Other Opportunities Does the Tech Center Offer?

Students from 15 school districts attend the VBTC, including:

	Bangor Public Schools		Bloomingdale Public Schools
	Covert Public Schools		Decatur Public Schools
	Dowagiac Union Schools		Eau Claire Public Schools
	Gobles Public Schools		Hartford Public Schools
	Lawrence Public Schools		Lawton Community Schools
	Marcellus Community Schools		Mattawan Consolidated School
	Paw Paw Public Schools		South Haven Public Schools
	Watervliet Public Schools

Depending on each school's bus schedule, classes at the Technology Center are available both morning and afternoon.

High school credit for Technology Center programs is issued by the student's local high school. For students enrolled in a dual enrollment (college) credit program, students receive both high school credit from their school district, and college credit from the participating area community college.

The Van Buren Technology Center has programs available in 15 of the National Career Clusters, for a total of 28 available CTE programs. Please see the individual program descriptions for information about each program.

The National Career Clusters are broad groupings of careers that share similar characteristics, and whose employment requirements call for many common interests, strengths, and competencies. These groupings encompass the entire spectrum of career options. There are 16 National Career Clusters.  The Technology Center offers CTE programming in 14 of the 16 clusters:

	The production, processing, marketing, distribution, financing, and development of agricultural commodities and resources including food, fiber, wood products, natural resources, horticulture, and other plant and animal products/resources.
	Careers in designing, planning, managing, building and maintaining the built environment.
	Designing, producing, exhibiting, performing, writing, and publishing multimedia content including visual and performing arts and design, journalism, and entertainment services.
	Planning, managing and providing education and training services, and related learning support services.
	Planning, services for financial and investment planning, banking, insurance, and business financial management.
	Planning, managing, and providing therapeutic services, diagnostic services, health informatics, support services, and biotechnology research and development.
	Hospitality & Tourism encompasses the management, marketing and operations of restaurants and other food services, lodging, attractions, recreation events and travel related services.
	Preparing individuals for employment in career pathways that relate to families and human needs such as counseling and mental health services, family and community services, personal care, and consumer services.
	Building linkages in IT occupations for entry level, technical, and professional careers related to the design, development, support and management of hardware, software, multimedia and systems integration services.
	Planning, managing, and providing legal, public safety, protective services and homeland security, including professional and technical support services.
	Planning, managing and performing the processing of materials into intermediate or final products and related professional and technical support activities such as production planning and control, maintenance and manufacturing/process engineering.
	Planning, managing, and performing marketing activities to reach organizational objectives.
	Planning, managing, and providing scientific research and professional and technical services (e.g., physical science, social science, engineering) including laboratory and testing services, and research and development services.
	Planning, management, and movement of people, materials, and goods by road, pipeline, air, rail and water, and related professional and technical support services:  transportation infrastructure planning and management, logistics services, mobile equipment and facility maintenance.

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Many Tech Center programs offer dual enrollment possibilities to qualifying students. These programs include: 

7. Which Colleges Offer Dual Enrollment Credit Through the Tech Center (direct college
    credit)?

Dual enrollment classes at the Van Buren Technology Center are through Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC), Lake Michigan College (LMC), or Southwestern Michigan College (SMC). Credits may also transfer to four-year universities.

Articulated credit is another opportunity for students to receive college credit through Tech Center programs; only this time, credit is awarded by the participating college/university after high school graduation! The college/university will award credit based on what you have learned through your Technology Center program, then basically "sign off" on their corresponding course(s). On your college transcript, you won't receive a letter grade for those classes, just credit for the class.  Some colleges may require you to pay for the credit hours they are granting.

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In addition to the programs that offer college credit, several Tech Center programs offer state or national certification. (Some programs offer both college credit and certification!) These programs include:

In addition to college credit and state/national certifications, Tech Center students have the opportunity to participate in interactive distance learning experiences through VBTC's Distance Learning Lab, job shadow and co-op work experiences, clinical experiences, apprenticeships, program/career related field trips, and state/national competitions through various student organizations.

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