Wake County encourage high school students to pursue careers in law enforcement, teaching and other fields that will need additional local workers in the near future, according to a report by the Raleigh News and Observer. 

 

Wake school administrators have identified design, education, engineering, food industry, senior-citizen care and public safety as areas that could be supported by more high school courses. 

 

Figures presented to the Wake School Board show Wake County will need 27,863 more food-industry workers, 5,653 more teachers, 2,549 more construction workers, 1,731 more home health aides and 421 more landscape and building architects.

 

Wake County already offers some of the six themes at the Vernon Malone College and Career Academy in Raleigh and at career academies in high schools around the district.

 

Some board members said they could support offering the six models as programs within existing schools but not as standalone schools. Board member Jim Martin said Wake should focus more on strengthening comprehensive schools than on creating specialty schools.