COSHOCTON − A new program at the Coshocton County Career Center allows seniors to complete their academics online over the summer so they can enter the workforce or advance training sooner.
For some this program could mean working full-time during their senior year.
Senior Flex Path has 20 participants who can complete all of the academic courses required for their senior year online over the summer by Aug. 1. There are summer school hours and teachers eligible for assistance. These students are still eligible for sports and other extracurriculars, such as band, at their home schools. Those who don’t complete their academics by the deadline will just follow a traditional senior year.
But those who do will have three options. Along with labs for their chosen program, they can also take junior coursework labs for a second program. They could also do their program labs and then participate in a part-time job, apprenticeship or internship in the community. The last option is to work a full-time job in their chosen field for credit and only return to the career center to take needed exams.
“It’s built for 2026 and future learners. It’s built for today’s youth who want to get involved, who want to work with their hands, who want to go out and make a living as soon as they possibly can,” Principal Andy Slaughter said.
“The idea behind it is, simply, how can we help our kids be successful and get them to where they want to be as fast as we possibly can while making sure they’re prepared to be successful in that chosen field.”
‘It’s hands-on, you’re active’
Slaughter said they have about 350 students at the career center this year, a record high. Numbers have increased over the last few years as a new emphasis has been put on career fields.
Some of their current most popular programs include metal fabrication, construction technology, early childhood education and health technology. Last year the career center opened a new 11,000 square-foot wing with a $4.4 million grant to add utility line worker and applied machining and advanced manufacturing programs.
A big reason for the boost, said Slaughter, is that teens are learning they can get into high-paying jobs that interest them right out of high school with the right training and credentials. There is a high demand for welders and electricians, as an example, as many of those workers have or plan to retire soon. The Senior Flex Path can get workers like that into the community quicker, filling those vital roles.
As for those who choose to stay at the career center in a secondary program, Slaughter said this can either give them a fallback option or simply more skills for their everyday life. He knows of one early childhood education student taking automotive tech, just because she wants to know how to do basic work on her automobile like change the oil. Another student in the metal fabrication program is taking culinary courses, because the student knows is useful, Slaughter stated.
“It’s hands-on, you’re active, you’re constantly engaged doing something you chose to do. Who chooses to do algebra,” Slaughter said. “When somebody wants to learn something, they’re going to be more engaged, they’re going to be more hands-on, they’re going to be more attentive, they’re going to learn better and more. This is what (the Senior Flex Path) is all designed and built for.”
A meeting is slated for 5 p.m. March 16 at the career center to discuss the program with interested juniors and their parents.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 18 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Career center’s Flex Path program offers faster route to careers
Reporting by Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune / Coshocton Tribune
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