Armed with a Certificate in Microsoft Excel that she earned in high school, Coppell High School Senior Layla Salfiti is "excel"-erating her career by securing a prestigious and high-paying part-time position in the health care sector at CI Healthgroup.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are invaluable in preparing students for success in the real world that can start in high school with industry-based certifications. Salfiti is a prime example of how a Certificate in Microsoft Excel from her Business, Marketing and Finance CTE Program of Study landed her a high-profile job as a high school student.
Salfiti chose the Business, Marketing and Finance CTE Program of Study because she believed it would offer her the most comprehensive set of skills for her future career success. She is putting her Excel skills to use at CI Healthgroup, a health care company, where she “excels” in her role by inputting crucial data into spreadsheets.
The certifications Layla earned in her CTE courses, Business Information I and Business Information II, have equipped her with the proficiency to manipulate data efficiently.
"Knowing how to make tables and how to move information around and get rid of specific things is very important," Salfiti explains.
Her job involves handling data intricacies, and her Excel expertise acquired through CTE courses is indispensable in her role.
Richard Chamberlain, who teaches marketing and business at CHS, underscores the importance of industry-based certifications, emphasizing that they extend the relevance of learning beyond the classroom.
“These certifications not only link classroom instruction to real-world skills but also provide students with a competitive advantage in the job market,” Chamberlain says.
Andrea Pirtle, another business teacher at CHS, echoes this sentiment.
“I wholeheartedly believe that the MOS Word and Excel Associate and Expert certifications speak volumes on students’ resumes and college applications,” Pirtle says. “These certifications show that the student possesses an in-depth knowledge of these applications. They have more than the basic skills needed to complete documents and spreadsheets.”
Salfiti emphasizes the broader impact of a CTE education, stating, "It really is beneficial and opens up a lot of new opportunities to try out. Even if you don’t want a job in a specific industry, you’ll learn useful skills that are just good to know in general."
After high school, Salfiti plans to attend a local community college before attending Texas A&M Corpus Christi. As she sets forth on her post high school academic and career journey, her story stands as a testament to the power of CTE education and industry-based certifications in shaping the trajectory of students' lives.
Coppell ISD offers CTE Programs of Study in 5 career areas:
Arts, Audio Visual Technology and Communications
Business, Marketing and Finance
Education and Training
Health Science and
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Learn more at www.coppellisd.com/page/career-and-technical-education.