Steel Center Area Vocational Technical School

Southeastern Allegheny County to include: West Jefferson Hills, Baldwin Borough, Baldwin Township, Bethel Park, Library, South Park, Elizabeth Forward, Elizabeth Township, Glassport, Portvue, Brentwood, Clairton, Duquesne, West Mifflin, Munhall, Homewood, Whitehall,

Culinary, Automotive, Construction, Cosmetology, Health & Protective Services, IT, Manufacturing

Steel Center is ISO 9000 Registered consisting of a.m. and p.m. session session for secondary students. Adult training is held in the evenings. Some adult training such as the Marcellus Shale Training Project and customized adult training are held during the day and evening sessions. The cosmetology curriculum is offered during the day sessions and is approved by the Pennsylvania Cosmetology Licensing Board. Once the student completes the required hours, she is eligible to take the Cosmetology Licensing Examination. The Automotive Technician Program uses the CDX online training curriculum approved by ASE. Both the Automotive Technician and Collision Repairs Programs are ASE Certified Sites. The Collision & Repair Program uses the current I-Car Approved Curriculum. The Carpentry and Electrical Constructions Programs are Certified by the Association for Builders and Contractors. All construction program curriculum are approved by the National Center for Construction, Education, and Research. The Machine Shop Program is an accredited metalworking program by the NIMS approved (National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Inc. Students in the Culinary Programs are tested in Allegheny County for SafeSurv Certification. The Health Assisting Program is an approved Certified Nurse Assistant Training Curriculum. The instructor is a CNA Training. All Steel Center Programs maintain an Occupational Advisory Committee which meet a minimum of twice per school year. All programs are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Career and Technical Education. All 12th grade students are required to pass the NOCTI Examination or Licensing Certificate for their programs to be considered a program completer. The Adult LPN Program is state approved with certified nurse instructors and offered through Indiana County CTE. The CNA Adult Program is state approved and with a licensed RN and certified instructor. The Marcellus Shale Training is offered through an private training company. Their curriculum is state approved. The adult welding program is offered through All-State Training, a private postsecondary training school.

Perkins SPecial Needs Population Coordinators: Special Education, Economically Disadvantages, Minority
Mathematics and Reading Support Services
Instructional Aides, Co-op Coordinator, Internship, and Job Shadowing; School Guidance Counselor

Stant of the art to include wireless and video conferencing

Compete in BOTIQ (robot) Competition

SkillsUSA, HOSA (Health Occupational Students of American); BAMP (Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh)
National Honor Society

N/A

150

To meet the changing workforce needs of our region through continuous improvement of career and technical education.
(October, 2007)

Steel Center will be recognized as a "state of the art" career and technical school which is on the cutting edge of technology.
By continuing to raise standards, Steel Center develops self-sufficient, productive citizens to strengthen the infrastructure of
our local communities and region. Through collaboration and partnership building with stakeholders, Steel Center will provide
quality career and technical education for every secondary student, out-of-school, or adult for whom career and technical
is appropriate. Through the renaissance that is occuring in our region, Steel Center will continue to be an integral component
in the development and retention of human capital. (October, 2007)

STEEL CENTER BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Steel Center Area Vocational Technical School is located approximately fifteen miles south of downtown Pittsburgh on Route 51 in the South Hills.  Steel Center was the first school in Western Pennsylvania to be ISO Certified.  The school was created in 1980 through the efforts of the ten participating school districts that create the Steel Center Consortium:  Baldwin-Whitehall, Brentwood, Clairton, Duquesne, Elizabeth Forward, South Allegheny, South Park, Steel Valley, West Jefferson Hills, and West Mifflin School Districts.  Clairton, Duquesne, and Steel Valley school districts are identified by the state as economically distressed.  Due to financial condition and failure to meet standards, Duquesne School District is controlled by the State. Approximately 700 students in grades 10, 11, and 12 attended the twenty different technical programs.  Student can certification in CISCO Networking, C-Tech Cabling and Fiber Optic, Power plant  Certified Nurse Assistant, First Responder, A+, NIMS, Safesurv, Cosmetology.  Approximately 33% of the students attended Steel Center are classified Special Needs.  Remediation in math and reading skills are provided students through Perkins Funding.  Two academic facilitators are certified in math and one academic facilitator is certified in reading.  The two special needs coordinators are special education certified.  The school also provides students job shadowing, internships, and co-op experience through our co-op coordinator.  The school has a full-time adult education coordinator, full-time certified counselor, one assistant director, and one director. 

The major businesses and industries in the area include United State Steel, South Hills Health System, Bombardier, Century 111 Mall, Irwin Works, and Clairton Works, and WEMCO. 

In May, 2003 Steel Center received the Quality Management System Award from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.  In April, 2003 we received the Governor’s Achievement Award in recognition of receiving a grant for the Workforce 2+2+2 Leadership Greenhouses.  We also receive the “All-Star” Certificate by the Regional Business Alliance. In 2006, Steel Center completed an $800,000 National Science Foundation Grant to promote manufacturing careers in the middle schools. Steel Center partnered with California University of Pennsylvania and the Department of High Education 2+2+3 Workforce Development Initiative.  The Automotive Technician and Collision Repair Programs are certified by the Association for Service Excellence (ASE).  The Electrical Construction and Carpentry Programs are certified by the Association of Builders and Contractors.  Steel Center is an accredited Training & Education Facility by the National Center for Construction Education and Research.  Steel Center was recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for exceeding the expected PDE increase in levels of performance mathematics and occupational skill attainment.  In 2009, the collision and repair program was the first CTE to be awarded the 2009 Ultimate Collision Education Makeover Grant by the I-Car Educational Foundation ($80,000).  This past school year, 95% (162/171) of our 12th grade students passed the NOCTI Test (National Occupational Competency Testing Institute). of the 162 students who passed the NOCTI , 77% of our 12th grade students received a Pennsylvania Skills Certificate. Based on our five-year program completers survey (2005), 49% of the 2005 graduates who responded are employed in a related occupation, 30% employed unrelated, 8% military, 28% further schooling, and 11% unemployed.  Steel Center currently offers ten programs for students to earn nine to fifteen college credits through the Allegheny Community College.  We also have six articulations agreements with private postsecondary schools.  Through our adult education program, we offer safety and CDL Training for the Marcellus Shale Project; a Licensed Practical Nursing Program with college credit through Westmoreland Community College, Certified Nurse Assisting Certificate (CNA, and Welding Training.  Our school facilities are used for training by CCAC, U.S. Steel Company, All-State Training, and the Institute for High Occupational Training.