Hamilton Fulton Montgomery Pathways in Technology Early College High School (HFM PTECH) has added two new degree options for students to earn from Fulton Montgomery Community College.
Beginning this academic year, students in the HFM PTECH program’s Information Technology pathway can begin working toward an associate degree in Cybersecurity. This is in addition to the previously offered Computer Information Systems degree.
An associate degree in Chemical Abuse Counseling is now available to students in the Health Studies pathway.
“We heard from students that they were interested in pursuing careers in these areas, and we know from our partners at the chamber of commerce that jobs in these fields are in high demand,” HFM PTECH Principal Matt Davis said. “Working with FMCC and the State Education Department, we were able to successfully add these degree options to our program.”
Current HFM PTECH sophomores recently attended seminars to learn more about the two degree pathways and the careers related to them, and a number of students have expressed interest, Davis said.
Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce Director of Workforce Development Nicole Walrath said employers in the region have reported significant shortages in employees trained in chemical abuse counseling and cybersecurity, and PTECH and FMCC have responded accordingly.
“Preparing students for careers in these two fields is a win-win for our region. Students will be able to secure jobs, and employers will have skilled individuals graduating locally,” Walrath said.
With the help of a state grant, HFM PTECH opened its doors in 2014, immersing high school students in project based learning and providing full scholarships for select two-year degrees from FMCC.
At the end of their freshman year, each PTECH student chooses a pathway to pursue that matches their career interest. Students can choose from Business Management, Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology or Health Sciences and have six years to finish the program, earning their high school diploma and associate degree.
In addition to the two new degrees, HFM PTECH students can choose from eight other associate degrees at FMCC: Business Accounting, Business Management, Business Marketing, Computer Information Systems, Electrical Technology, Health Information Records Management, Health Studies and Radiologic Technology.
To date, 40 students from across the HFM region have completed the program.
