Kathy and John really are bridging the gap between education and the workforce. Especially the local professionals, they all come to this event and have something hands-on for the students to try.”

John went on to say, “We also do a thing called STEM-POSIUM, it’s in conjunction with the manufacturing expo, so all the STEM careers are featured. One of the things we launched a few years ago is the construction trade fair.” All sophomores get to take part and check out more than 50 both with hands-on activities to see if construction might be a good fit for them. Kathy said, “I think part of what we do is making sure that kids get an opportunity to try out different careers from the time they reach high school. The most popular are health sciences, construction and architecture, and arts and design. Part of what Kathy and John do is make sure kids get to try out different careers – they have 16 different pathways kids can explore. Kathy told us, “Sitting down and talking to kids about their futures and being able to open doors and set horizons and give them the confidence to fly, I think that’s what it’s all about.”

Through the program, students are introduced to career exploration opportunities. We’re trying to do a lot more than that with our students in Montrose County School District.” John said, “When I was in high school, we had a career advisor, and he said to me ‘Look, I advise you to get a career’ and that was about it. Their goal? To prepare students for life after high school through a career pathways program. Kathy is the Career Options Teacher at Montrose High School, and John is the Postsecondary Coordinator of Montrose County School District. John Steele and Kathy Gaber work closely together to achieve the same goal. (KREX) - After high school kids are either off to college or entering the workforce, but how do they know what path to follow? The Montrose County School District is there to help them transition to the next phase of life.

Golden spike tower