Guidance

SOAR
SOAR’s Mission: The mission of SOAR (Students Occupationally and Academically Ready) is to prepare students for college and careers in a diverse, high-performing workforce.
SOAR’s Goal: SOAR is the career and technical Program of Study (POS) educational plan that articulates the secondary career and technical programs to postsecondary degree or diploma or certificate programs. SOAR programs lead students into a career pathway that align the secondary courses to a postsecondary program to complete a degree or certificate.
What is SOAR?: SOAR is built on programs of study which incorporate secondary education and postsecondary education elements and include coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant career and technical content. These career and technical programs of study includes a statewide articulation agreement partnership between secondary schools and postsecondary institutions.
SOAR Supports High Demand Careers. SOAR programs prepare today’s student for High Priority Occupations (HPO) which include career categories that are in high demand by employers, have higher skill needs, and are most likely to provide family sustaining wages.
Benefits of SOAR: Saving Money on College Tuition | Saving Time by Shortening College Attendance | Getting on the Right Career Pathway | Entering the Job Market Ready | Getting a Consistent Education. Click for additional information.
College and Advanced Placement
The number of students continuing their education is expected to continue to rise as more students recognize the value of advanced technical skills to career growth. With 80% of today’s jobs requiring continued post-secondary technical training and education, increasingly greater numbers of students completing their career development experience at Western Area CTC are continuing their studies at the college level. College placement services are provided to students through sending schools and Western Area CTC’s guidance and career counseling departments.
Our recent graduates have chosen these and other post-secondary training and education options: Bethany College | Bradford School | California University of Pennsylvania | Clarion University | Community College of Allegheny County | Douglas Education Center | Duquesne University | ITT Technical Institute | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Johnson & Wales University | Kent State | Ohio Technical College | Penn Commercial, Inc. | Pennsylvania College of Technology | Pittsburgh Technical College | Robert Morris University | Rosedale Technical School | Sullivan University | St. Vincent College | Thiel College | U.S. Army | U.S. Marine Corps | University of Memphis | Washington Hospital School of Nursing | Westmoreland Community College | West Virginia University | Western Area CTC: Practical Nursing Program | WyoTech.
Articulation Partners
Western Area Career & Technology Center is continually working to provide new articulation agreements for our students.
Formal articulation agreements providing advanced placement options are currently in place with: California University of Pennsylvania | Career Training Academy | Douglas Education Center | Penn Commercial, Inc. | Pittsburgh Technical College.
Graduation Projects
Students are required to complete a Graduation Project at Western Area Career & Technology Center.
On-Campus Open House
February 25th, 2022 11AM