CCBC celebrates Tech Prep partnership
with Baltimore County Public Schools

At a Technical Preparation (Tech Prep) Executive Council dinner meeting in October, CCBC celebrated its continuing partnership with Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) in this workforce development and education initiative, designed to integrate a variety of influences and strengthen the link between high school and college.

An important component of the Tech Prep program is an articulation agreement between BCPS and CCBC, in which CCBC grants college credit to students completing specified programs of study while in high school. To create this integrated system, college and high school faculty work to match upper level high school courses with introductory level college courses. If a student completes the high school program – and after graduation – the corresponding high school credits articulate to college credits at CCBC.

“Career Completer” programs at the 25 Baltimore County public high schools relate to many associate’s degree programs at CCBC. For example, a student completing the Academy of Finance program at Overlea High School will earn credits toward a Business Management and Finance degree at CCBC. Other “career clusters” include Construction and Development, Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Health and Biosciences, and Human Resource Services.

“Tech Prep is a bridge between institutions that encourages kids to complete high school with some work-based learning experiences, preparing them to go into the world of work to continue in higher education,” said Dave Flumbaum, director of Technical Preparation at CCBC and also the director of the Baltimore County Tech Prep consortium. “The CCBC articulation agreement is just one part of a program that involves externships, internships, business partnerships, college readiness, workforce development and technology training.”

The Tech Prep program is federally funded through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Act. For more information, contact David Flumbaum at 443-840-4710 or via e-mail at dflumbaum@ccbcmd.edu.