One of the most important skills a high school student can build upon to prepare them for the future is real world work skills. It is vital to develop good communication skills and work ethic that students are going to need to have to be successful in a real life work environment. Luckily, PYLUSD offers many programs that allow students to get a taste of the work environment and help prepare them for the future. 

At Yorba Linda High School, there are two main programs that focus on future career paths, the Business Program and the Culinary Program. As stated on the Yorba Linda High School website, “The Mustang Business academy is a unique course of study designed especially for students with an interest in and aptitude for Business and Management.” Through this program, students will gain skills related to business type careers, gain experience in hands-on projects and competitions, as well as earning industry recognized certifications. This program is a great way for people seeking out business like career paths in the future to gain a head start towards success. Emilia Nivinskus (12) talks about her experience in the business program, saying “my favorite part of the program is that I am learning things that will be valuable in the future such as how to do taxes, communicating in the workplace, and marketing tactics that I can apply to future jobs.” 

The second program offered at Yorba Linda High School is the Culinary Arts and Hospitality program. Jenni Messick instructs this program, which offers several courses, including Introduction to Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, Hotel and Hospitality Management, and Retail Restaurant. Entering the food and hospitality industry is a unique path that is not really explored in high school. With the exposure to courses like these, students can “meet their work-based learning requirement by using their class skills in a real world workplace.” These are valuable skills that can not just be learned in a classroom. 

At Esperanza, they have two programs surrounding medicine and engineering. The Aztec Engineering and Manufacturing program is an introduction to different engineering and manufacturing careers. This program offers experience using industry software and technology, as well as industry field trips, internships, job shadowing, and training to pass industry certifications (esperanzahs.net). Going into a career path revolving around engineering and manufacturing is a popular and useful route to take, and this program at Esperanza is a step closer to entering that career path. 

Esperanza also has a Medical Science Academy where students can work with real industry equipment to gain skills in the medical field. This program prepares students for a variety of medical careers, successful transition to universities and colleges, immediate employment, and career portfolio development. Students also have the opportunity to shadow different branches in the medical field by attending their workplace. 

Valencia offers a Val Tech program where students can acquire 21st century technology skills related to a chosen career path. Based on Valencia’s website, “The Val Tech program offers eight different technology pathways” where each is focused on an “in depth concentration course of study based on student interest” (vhstigers.org). This course prepares for a continued education in a career technological pathway based on the students interest, as well as preparing them for a specialized technological advancement in high-level college and university courses (vhstigers.org). 

These are just some of the few programs offered at high schools in the Placentia Yorba Linda School District. To get more information on these programs, or to learn about more programs offered at other high schools, be sure to check out the websites of the schools you are interested in! All these programs are a great way to kick off your future career while still in high school!