Pictured from left to right: TOPSS welding students Cecil Green from Hoxie High School, Bronze; Chase Malin from Sloan Hendrix High School, Silver; Ryan McVay from Pocahontas High School, Gold; Ruthy Lamborn from Maynard High School, Bronze; Aidan Ballard from Pocahontas High School, Bronze; Dalton Thompson from Corning High School, Gold; Ty Bippus from Corning High School, Silver.
POCAHONTAS, AR Jan. 27 — Eight BRTC TOPSS students have earned the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate. Welding students from Hoxie, Sloan Hendrix, Pocahontas, Maynard, and Corning were awarded certificates ranging from bronze to gold.
According to the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate website, the National Career Readiness Certificate is a portable, evidence-based credential that certifies the essential skills for workplace success. Employers look for it from job candidates, whether they come directly from high school, work-based learning programs, or through postsecondary paths, because it is a valid predictor of job performance.
Black River Technical College’s Technical Opportunities and Pathways for Secondary Students (TOPSS) is a free program which enables high school juniors and seniors to get a head start on a career after high school. Students can graduate with their high school diploma as well as with a BRTC degree, ready to go right into the workforce.
Juniors and seniors at participating high schools are eligible to apply for TOPSS. The BRTC TOPSS webpage identifies participating schools and available career pathways.
For more information about TOPSS, visit http://blackrivertech.org/technical-opportunities-and-pathways-for-secondary-students-topss or contact Darenda Kersey, BRTC Coordinator of Concurrent Enrollment, at (870) 248-4000 or Darenda.Kersey@blackrivertech.edu.