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Day 4: Post-HS Apprenticeship Pathways + Matrix Completion

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Research post-high-school apprenticeship and trade-school pathways for HVAC, electrical, and plumbing; finalize the Skilled Trades Matrix; update H&L Career Plan with trades interests
TEKS d(2)(A), d(3)(G)
Deliverable Completed Skilled Trades Matrix (final) + updated H&L Career Plan with any new A&C/trades interests
Materials Chromebooks, H&L accounts + Workbook (Ch 16 Career Plan), apprenticeship program websites (DFW trade unions, TCC, UTI), projector

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: What new CTE pathway do you wish your school offered? Why?

Collect 3-4 responses. Some students will name trades covered this week. Others may name totally different fields (cosmetology, aviation, video game design). Bridge: today you will learn about new pathways Irving ISD is actually building. Your input matters because these programs need interested students to succeed.

Activity 1: Post-HS Apprenticeship and Trade-School Pathways (20 min)

HVAC, electrical, and plumbing are not currently offered as dedicated Irving ISD pathways. Students interested in these trades pursue them through three routes after high school: (1) union apprenticeships, (2) community college trade programs, or (3) private trade schools. Today's activity is researching what those post-HS routes look like locally.

Project a short overview of each route, then have students research ONE of the three trades (HVAC, electrical, or plumbing) across all three routes using the websites below.

Three routes to research:

  • Union apprenticeship: DFW area has active apprenticeships through IBEW (electrical), UA Local 100 (plumbing/pipefitting), and SMACNA/SMART (HVAC/sheet metal). Apprentices earn while they learn, typically 3-5 years to journeyman.
  • Community college: Tarrant County College, Dallas College, and North Lake College all offer HVAC, electrical, and plumbing technology programs. Typical duration: 1-2 years for a certificate, 2 years for an associate degree.
  • Private trade schools: Lincoln Tech and Universal Technical Institute (UTI) offer intensive HVAC/electrical programs. Typical duration: 6-18 months. Higher cost than community college.

What Irving ISD offers now:

  • Welding at MacArthur (School of Architecture, Construction and Civil Engineering) is the closest current Irving ISD pathway in the skilled-trades space. Students can earn the Structural Steel & Metal Welding Certification before graduating.

Students take notes on their trade of choice across all 3 routes. Then they answer two reflection questions:

  • Which route best fits a student who wants to start working as soon as possible after high school?
  • Which route best fits a student who wants the most thorough technical training before entering the workforce?

[VERIFY] Future Irving ISD trades pathways

Irving ISD's CTE Pathways poster includes "Coming 2027" markers for some district-wide pathways. If HVAC, Electrical, or Plumbing are added to Irving ISD's offerings by the time you teach this week, update this activity to include them. Verify current program details with your district CTE coordinator before class, the Irving ISD CTE department updates offerings annually.

Activity 2: Finalize the Skilled Trades Matrix (15 min)

Students revisit their Skilled Trades Comparison Matrix from Days 1-2 and finalize all cells. They should now have complete data for all 4 trades (Electrician, Plumber, HVAC Tech, Welder) across all rows:

  • Apprenticeship length
  • Licensing requirements
  • Certification names (NCCER, AWS, TDLR)
  • DFW starting salary
  • DFW experienced salary
  • BLS 10-year job outlook
  • High-skill classification
  • High-wage classification
  • High-demand classification
  • One perk
  • One quirk

Students cross-reference their Labor Market Analysis worksheet from Day 3 and copy classification data over. The matrix is the primary summative deliverable for the week. It should be neat, complete, and ready to submit on Day 5.

Facilitation Tip

Walk with a clipboard and spot-check 3-4 matrices. Look for: (1) numbers cited rather than blank cells, (2) consistent format across trades, (3) classifications with reasoning rather than just Y/N.

DOK 3: Looking at your completed Skilled Trades Matrix, identify the two trades that are most similar in training time AND salary. If you had to choose between those two this week, what non-salary factor (perks, quirks, work environment, growth outlook, local DFW demand) would tip your decision, and why?

Activity 3: H&L Career Plan Update (7 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 3 (A&C Hat Finder) + Ch 16 (My Next Steps: Career Plan)

Direct students to open H&L and:

  1. Favorite any new trades careers they discovered this week. Electrician, Plumber, HVAC Tech, or Welder
  2. Update Building Blocks if any of this week's work made them realize they have a skill or interest that applies to trades (mechanical ability, hands-on work, problem-solving under pressure)
  3. Open the Career Plan in Ch 16 and add trades to their explored clusters list

Exit Ticket (3 min)

EXIT TICKET (Mini-Case / Scenario Application) · Printable PDF:

Scenario: Ava is a 12th grader in Irving. Her family cannot pay for college. She wants to be an HVAC technician but Irving ISD does not offer HVAC.

  1. Which route should Ava pick (circle one): union apprenticeship / community college trade program / private trade school (Lincoln Tech / UTI)?

My pick: _____

  1. Use ONE specific data point (cost, length, or DFW salary) to back my pick:
  1. If I were Ava's friend, ONE backup trade I would suggest that IS available at Irving ISD (Welding at MacArthur ACE): _____. In one sentence, why Welding could be a good fit:
  1. ONE trade that interests ME most from this week AND the route (MacArthur Welding or post-HS apprenticeship / CC / trade school) I would pick: (d(2)(A), d(3)(G))

My trade: ___. My route: ___

Differentiation

  • Support: Provide a completed example matrix (one trade) as a reference. Students compare their own work against the example to self-check quality.
  • Extension: Research the average age of workers in your assigned trade. How many will retire in the next 10 years? What does this mean for job openings?
  • ELL: Bilingual apprenticeship research handout. Pre-teach: Pathway = Trayectoria, Apprenticeship = Aprendizaje, Certification = Certificación. Pair ELL students with bilingual peers for the Career Plan discussion.