Building Better
Curriculum
The Career Connections program includes 8 comprehensive, skilled trades textbooks. The projects included in the textbooks are derived from a skills competency matrix that easily identifies skill levels as basic, intermediate, and advanced.
The Career Connections team augments the program with guest speakers, additional professional development training for instructors, tours of Southwest Mountain States Training Centers, hands-on tutorials of projects, and mentorship to students.
The Western States Career Connections program application to the University of California was approved as a private entity. Hence, the Career Connections curriculum has been approved by the California A-G process, validating the rigor of an industry developed and backed curriculum.
The Career Connections program issues internationally recognized certificates of completion for each level of the program and is the best training material in the industry.
Our Textbooks
Project Book One
Presents safety information and precautions, descriptions of tools and safe operating procedures, descriptions of materials and fasteners; contains 15 step-by-step projects that require basic skills including the tote box, step stool, book case, and storage chest. The Teacher Annotated Edition contains Lesson Plans, suggested time frames for teaching, and page-by-page tips for teaching and using additional resources. A Resources flash drive is included with the Teacher Annotated Edition, contains all Lesson Plans, Grading Rubric for each project; Skills Matrix for all projects; Safety and Operation Checklist for evaluating student performance in the use of each tool.
Project Book Two
Review’s safety, tools, and materials information; contains 13 step by step projects that require intermediate skills including the octagonal picnic table, skateboard ramp, Adirondack chair, and shed with a gable roof. Teacher Annotated Edition contains Lesson Plans, suggested time frames for teaching, and page-by-page tips for teaching and using additional resources. A Resources flash drive is included with the Teacher Annotated Edition, contains all Lesson Plans, Grading Rubric for each project; Skills Matrix for all projects; Safety and Operation Checklist for evaluating student performance in the use of each tool.
Project Book Three Residential
Residential Construction develops advanced building skills. Like its companion volume Commercial Construction, Residential Construction includes a safety chapter. Reviews of tools, materials, and fasteners are included at the points students will need a review before building. Lead Up exercises are provided. Procedures included are determining the partition layout; marking door and window openings; installing top and bottom track; establishing plumb; constructing a header; building an interior wall system; making and installing a soffit; assembling an equal slope hip roof; calculating and laying out a hip rafter; hanging and finishing drywall; installing ceilings.
Project Book Three Commercial
Commercial Construction develops advanced building skills. Like its companion volume Residential Construction, Commercial Construction includes a safety chapter. Reviews of tools, materials, and fasteners are included at the points where students need the review before beginning to build. Procedures included are determining the partition layout; marking door and window openings; installing top and bottom track; establishing plumb; constructing a header; building an interior wall system; making and installing a soffit; assembling an equal slope hip roof; calculating and laying out a hip rafter; hanging and finishing drywall; installing ceilings.
Math For the Trades
This manual makes up the math component of an effective high school trades curriculum. All of the math concepts are linked to real life situations in the world of construction work. This manual is a basic treatment of tech math beginning with general math, fractions, and decimals. Measurement and measurement tools, layout, area measure, and volume measure are all explained in detail with numerous exercises. Additional exercises for practice and remediation are contained on the Flash Drive accompanying the Instructor Guide. A special effort has been made to set exercises in the context of real life technical work tasks.
One Trade Many Careers
Covers self-evaluation; goal setting; employability skills; specific career information on those trades within the UBC; real-world-of-work descriptions of workers on the job; interviews and features that appeal to young adults. The Teacher Annotated Edition contains Lesson Plans, suggested time frames for teaching, and page-by-page tips for teaching and using additional resources. A Resources flash drive is included with the Teacher Annotated Edition, contains Lesson Plans and additional material to assist in teaching the class. A ten-minute video, “One Trade, Many Crafts,” produced by the UBC, is also included with the Teacher Annotated Edition, along with a Discussion Guide.
Oxyfuel Cutting and Shielded Metal Arc Welding
Career Connections: Oxyfuel Cutting and Shielded Metal Arc Welding introduces students to and provides practice in basic welding skills. The projects in the book meet a number of AWS guidelines for its high school SENSE program. Safety is a primary emphasis in the book. Oxyfuel cutting is covered first. Welding equipment and weld symbols are also discussed along with an in depth presentation of Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW). At the beginning, students are introduced to the job duties and employability skills required of the capable welder.
Introduction to Millwrighting
Career Connections: Introduction to Millwrighting tells the student exactly what a millwright is and what the job responsibilities are and the industries that provide job opportunities. Employability skills are covered. All of the toolbox and gangbox tools are described and illustrated. The math needed for millwrights to do their tasks is covered and examples are given.
The Virtual Shop
A software program demonstrating through step-by-step animations the procedures for all the Projects in Project Books 1 and 2; many of the Lead-Up Exercises in both books; and modules on Shop Safety and Tools. Teachers will be able to walk students through Exercises and Projects before they attempt them in the shop. Seeing the execution of projects step-by-step gives students that depth of understanding and confidence. Visual learners especially gain clarification. A brief virtual tour of the shop environment is all about safety—identifying and avoiding hazards; and locating First Aid cabinets, exits, and hazardous materials cabinets. Here, the importance of cleanliness and good housekeeping is emphasized. The flash drive also contains a User Guide with technical specifications and suggestions for using it in the classroom. Technical requirements to run the program are minimal.
Learning Management System (LMS)
The Career Connections Learning Management System (LMS) provides instructors with access to the entire Career Connections program including: One Trade, Many Careers; Project Book 1; Project Book 2; Project Books 3, Commercial and Residential Construction; Career Connections: Math for the Trades; Career Connections: Introduction to Millwrighting; Career Connections: Oxyfuel Cutting and Shielded Metal Arc Welding; and The Virtual Shop software program. Having all the Career Connections components available allows organizations to customize their programs to meet the needs of their students. In addition, the grade book feature streamlines the tracking of student skill level achievement and recordkeeping. Instructors will also have access to the Career Connections: 1600 Question Objective Test Bank. Additional instructor resources are provided online including lesson plans, grading rubrics, project evaluations, and project drawings.
Student Achievements
Certificates
The certificates of completion afford the student a clear pathway to a lifelong career as a professional carpenter through UBC Apprenticeship training. Employers will understand the meaning of the Certificates: with Project book 1 and Project book 2 Certificates, a student has certain skills that are clearly stated in the Skills Matrix. A Project Book 3 Certificate means a student has clearly demonstrated entry-level professional carpentry skills. To qualify for a certificate, the student needs to have successfully completed each level as described in the Career Connections Skills Matrix.
Session badges
Session badges are awarded to high achieving students in the following categories: project evaluation sheets, all safety and operations checklists, safe work habits, attendance, work ethic, positive attitude, and people skills. These hard hat stickers can be awarded to students that have been presented with a session badge by their instructor. Session badges will be awarded based on the student’s overall performance. This includes project evaluations, testing, instructor assessment, and any other areas the instructor deems appropriate. The badges will be issued through the LMS and the hard hat stickers provide a way for the students to show what they have accomplished. The available session badges include Gold, Silver, Bronze, Hand Tools, Measuring Tools, and One Trade Many Careers.