MARLBOROUGH, MA — Some Marlborough High School students are taking a new route toward graduation that combines classroom instruction with hands-on career training.
Eight students are enrolled in the district's Dual Enrollment Program, MPS announced in its October newsletter. The program lets students take core academic classes at Marlborough High School and travel to Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School for training in a skilled trade.
Through the new program, six students are studying electrical wiring and two are studying cosmetology.
Now, the training functions as an elective while allowing students to work toward an industry credential, according to the district. Participants will graduate with a Marlborough High diploma as well as training intended to help them begin a career in their chosen field.
Assabet's electrical wiring program covers residential, commercial and industrial wiring methods under the Massachusetts Electrical Code. Students who complete the curriculum can earn up to 1,500 hours of required work experience and 300 hours of education toward the state's journeyman electrician apprenticeship requirements, according to the school.
Meanwhile, students in Assabet's cosmetology program study hair, scalp, skin and nail services. The program prepares students for the Massachusetts State Board of Cosmetology examination after they accumulate 1,000 training hours.
The dual enrollment students balance their technical coursework with a full academic schedule at Marlborough High. The district said the program is designed for students who learn best through hands-on work and want a defined path toward a career.
"This program was built with a specific kind of student in mind: the student who learns best with their hands, who wants a clear path to a career. For these eight students, it's working," MPS wrote in the newsletter. "We're proud of the effort and dedication these eight students bring to their education every single day."
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