Foundational education: Students find hands-on experience at NEWTECH Skills Center

This isn’t your dad’s shop class.

In one corner of the NEWTECH Skills Center, students are editing digital interviews on high-tech computers in a class called Animation Technology and Special Effects.

Upstairs, students work in the Pre-Dental Assisting program in a room that looks like a giant dentist’s office.

A few doors down, dozens more are creating works of art in the kitchen and in the cosmetology class.

Yes, there’s still a welding class, but most of the sparks flying at NEWTECH are the ones in the students’ heads.

“NEWTECH gives them something to get excited about,” said Karene Duffy, now in her second year as director of the facility in northeast Spokane that serves about 700 students in Spokane County but has room for many more.

“Once we’ve lit the fire with these kids, we’re off,” Duffy said.

More fires were ignited this week as NEWTECH hosted Welcome Wednesday, a chance for high school juniors and sophomores to tour the facility and perhaps get a glimpse of their future in the process.

The NEWTECH center is owned by 11 different districts and hosted by Spokane Public Schools, offering training in technical skills to prepare students for success in the workforce. It offers 16 programs, including automotive repair, cosmetology, culinary arts, pre-dental, pre-nursing and graphic design.

All are in high demand by potential employers – a mission mandated by the state of Washington, which funds all skill centers.

“They’re taking a hard look at what’s being funded and how it’s being funded,” Duffy said.

“We are teaching in areas that are in high demand and offer an opportunity for a living wage and even a family wage in a lot of the programs,” Duffy said.

Not surprisingly, those are the same programs that fill up quickly after registration begins each February.

However, most classes have vacancies for next year.

“We’re teaching foundational skills and foundational understanding,” said Duffy, who also foresees that NEWTECH will lessen the number of teens “who are out of high school and still don’t know what they want to do.”

Mac Kellar, a junior at Mica Peak High School in Spokane Valley, spends half her high school hours at NEWTECH’s Animation Technology and Special Effects class.

Last week, Kellar was meticulously editing a video that included interviews from students in NEWTECH’s medical-assisting class.

“I like it because we we get some freedom, to an extent, because the projects are so broad,” said Kellar, who hopes to pursue a job in the field.

Others use NEWTECH as a jump-start toward college, or to test the waters before plunking down big money on college classes.

“You want to go to college with a purpose,” Duffy said.

Nicholas Johnson, a junior at Mead High School, delights in his creations in the Digital Game and Web Design class.

“It’s a great class, and everyone in the class is creating a game,” said Johnson, who also is considering enrolling in the nursing program.

The biggest selling point for many programs: immediate employment, certification or an apprenticeship.

For example, the Welding Technology class offers oxy-fuel, plasma arc and air-carbon arc-cutting processes. AWS Welding certification is available to students who demonstrate industry-competent welding proficiency.