Getting to Work

De(Coding) Jobs In The Field of Web Development

Would you ever think that someone who dropped out of school in the ninth grade and earned a GED could go into the workforce and earn nearly $60,000 a year? That is not fiction. Nor is it a fairy tale that someone tried community college, but then got certified in Web development, and found a…

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High school nursing students

Lee’s Summit Nursing Program Preps High Schoolers For ‘Rewarding’ Career

What does it take to be a nurse? Teamwork. “To be able to comfort and be a part of that is very rewarding,” said Peggy Chandler, a nursing instructor at Summit Technology Academy’s Professional Nursing Program. Chandler is preparing high school juniors and seniors to fill the gap left by retiring nurses. Students at Summit…

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Trucking Careers Offer Quick Training, Good Money In Kansas City — And Beyond

Believe it or not, there is a high-demand job out there with a starting salary of as much as $45,000 a year that requires as little as four weeks of training. The job is truck driving, and there are hundreds of thousands of available positions right now for trained drivers around the country, according to…

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Olathe High School Students Learning ‘Magic’ of Welding

Gary Pommier is a veteran welder, but the process of heating and melding metal continues to amaze him to this day. “I have been around welding my entire life,” he said, “and it is still magic. When you make a good weld, it is a matter of pride.” Pommier is passing along that passion to…

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je dunn superintendent on construction site

Construction Trades Offer Solid Careers Right Out Of High School

With thousands of skilled-trade workers retiring every day across the nation, the construction industry is in need of the next generation workforce to help build Kansas City and communities throughout the country. And those are good-paying jobs that are available to people straight out of high school. It will take some grit for folks willing…

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Kansas City Construction Career Academy Trains Next Generation of Skilled Workers

If you are like many folks, if something breaks in your house, you have to call someone to fix it. It could be a broken pipe, faulty light switch, or wheezing furnace. That means there are good, steady jobs available for people with the “fix-it” attitude and aptitude. Plus, with a lot these tradesmen reaching…

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Hear What Kansas City-Area Teachers Say About High School Prep For Careers

The quick-takes from Kansas City-area teachers, featured in the video above, indicate that these classroom leaders have done some learning of their own when it comes to preparing their students for the world of work. The upshot is that they see workforce prep as more than just teaching the basics. — Kansas City PBS is…

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Hear What Kansas City Students Say About High School Prep For Careers

Do you remember the first time you tried to do your taxes? It took months for the clumps of hair to grow back, right? Well, Asiyah Lanier just had her first experience with paying Uncle Sam, and it wasn’t pretty. She said she wished her high school had helped her with practical skills like that….

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‘I Just Care. They Become Family.’

A Kansas City-area special education teacher wants to find a way for students with disabilities to find jobs once they graduate. She introduced us to a former student of hers who did and shares why it matters.

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Finding Equitable Access to Education and the Workforce

A mother whose son has autism filed a federal civil rights complaint against a Kansas City school district. This is why and what she plans to do for other kids with disabilities.

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