Okaloosa County School District and HCA Fort Walton announce new partnership.

Editor's note: This story has been revised to include a statement from school Superintendent Marcus Chambers and to correct the name of the program the nursing students are participating in and to correct the size of the new building.

FORT WALTON BEACH — Nursing students participating in the Okaloosa County School District's Career Technical Education program will be moving into a new building on the HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital campus as part of a partnership designed to offer the students more opportunities.

According to Program Director April Branscome, this partnership between a career technical education program and a hospital is believed to be the only one in the country.

To dive deeper into the nursing program and to learn more about the pathways students can use for their future, the Northwest Florida Daily News sat down with Branscome and Teacher on Special Assignment David Welch.

What is the CTE program?

Short for Career Technical Education, the program allows students in various middle and high schools within Okaloosa County to earn industry certification, college credits and high school credits simultaneously.

Students in high schools have the choice to take dual enrollment courses at Okaloosa Technical College. Courses include Cybersecurity, Automotive Tech, Carpentry, Culinary Art, Technology Support Services, Cosmetology, Electricity, Marine Services Technology, Practical Nursing, Solar Technology and Welding.

Why this upgrade?

The concept of the new facility came about with meetings with the hospital. During the pandemic, there was a need for more healthcare workers to deal with the uptick in patient care.

After about two years of meetings, and with the help of a Triumph Gulf Coast Grant, the new 6,400-square-foot building will be used to further the nursing program.

Branscome says that the program will soon apply for a license from the Board of Nursing to allow students to become certified nursing assistants.

What will this new building offer for nursing students?

Currently, there are 60 students from Choctaw, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville High Schools enrolled in the nursing program. By the time students finish the class, they will have earned a patient care technician certification.

Branscome noted that three students who have completed the program have gone on to join staff positions at the hospital.

Branscome said that the partnership with HCA will be mutually beneficial for all parties. With the students receiving hands-on experience during their studies, the hospital can receive help with more patient care staff in the building.

The building will be operational and begin to elevate the nursing school experience for current and future students by the end of the year, although the exact date is not yet set.

Pipeline to the workforce

During a recent interview with Superintendent Marcus Chambers, he referenced that there are three primary outcomes for a student when they leave the school system: go to college, enlist in the military or enter the workforce.

Branscome and Welch echoed those comments. Middle schoolers who enter the CTE program will be able to try something new. Even if the kids don't like a specific program, the students who leave the program could leave with a lifelong skill.

For the students who find a passion within the programs provided, Welch believes that could give the students a headstart on others in the field they chose as soon as they leave school.

When will I ever use this?

That is a question asked by many students in grade school as they doodle in their notebooks. Welch noted that all CTE programs use math and science and apply the skills to real-world problems.

"Math and science are a key to CTE," said Welch. "It's tied to everything we do. There's not one CTE course that we have that doesn't have some kind of math course, science course or both."

Branscome noted that with the hands-on learning provided by the CTE programs, the students can relate to the things they are being taught and apply them to the challenges and problems that they could go through on a daily basis.

Statement from Superintendent Marcus Chambers

“The District continually works to provide our students with the best educational opportunities available," Superintendent Marcus Chambers said in a prepared statement. “We are grateful to community partners like HCA Florida Healthcare for supporting our student's educational experience of what it means to be in the medical field and providing them the best opportunities to ensure their success, earn industry certifications, and have the ability to transition from the Career Technical Education Practical Nursing program to the workforce.”

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Okaloosa School District and HCA Florida announce new partnership.