FAQ's

Students are provided a choice to pursue a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program of Study, work with industry partners, train on state-of-the-art, industry-standard equipment, obtain multiple industry-based certifications, and obtain dual credit when appropriate, prior to graduation.  A Career Institute will prepare students for high skill, livable wage, and high demand occupations.

Career Institutes will equip students to enter the workforce and earn a living wage upon high school graduation or continue their education through college coursework.  Students will have the opportunity to enter the workforce immediately from high school in high-demand jobs.  Working closely with our industry partners, we are providing a pipeline of skilled workers for our community.

Courses and certifications are offered by the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program of Study.  See available programs of study per Career Institute for more information.

There are no costs associated with the Career Institutes. They are FREE programs for Dallas ISD students.

Buses will pick up at home school campuses and report to their Career Institute by 9:10 am for the morning session. These students will take their program course and their elective course, eat lunch, and will return to their home high school campus.  Our afternoon students will be picked up and will eat lunch at their Career Institute and take their two courses and return to their home high school. Classes end at 4:00 pm daily in order to transport students back to their home high school in time for after-school activities and in time for neighborhood bus routes home.  Students will also have a late bus available in case they miss their bus for any reason.

The North location currently offers programs of study in:

• Aviation Flight (Pilot)
• Construction (Carpentry, Electrical, HVAC and Plumbing)
•  Architecture and Interior Design
• Manufacturing, Welding and Electronics
• Health Science: Dental Assistant, Phlebotomist and EKG, Patient Care and EMT
• Cybersecurity Programming and Software Development.

The East location currently offers programs in Construction and Carpentry, Electrical and Solar Technology, Interior Design, HVAC and Refrigeration, Plumbing Technology, Cybersecurity, Health Science: Patient Care Tech, Health Science: Pharmacy Technician.

The South location currently offers programs in:

• Aviation Flight (Pilot).
• Construction (Carpentry, Electrical, HVAC and Plumbing, Masonry).
•  Architecture and Interior Design.
• Manufacturing, Welding and Electronics.
• Health Science: Dental Assistant, Phlebotomist and EKG, Patient Care, Pharmacist and EMT.
• Cybersecurity Programming and Software Development.

Students can go to the Career Institute website and sign-up.  Look for the sign-up link on the main page. There are no grade requirements to participate in a Career Institute.  The Career Institutes are not stand-alone programs.  Students attend their home high school campus and are provided transportation to the Career Institutes during the school day.  Students select the Career Institute program of study courses they are interested in when they complete their choice sheets with counselors in January and February. 

• Career Institute East is located at the Lincoln Instructional Center at Lincoln High School - 5000 Malcolm X Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75215.

• Career Institute North  10115 Midway Road, Dallas, TX 75229 
• Charmaine & Robert Price Career Institute South will remain at its current location, 4949 Village Fair Dr. Dallas, TX 75224.
• Career Institute East location is to be determined.
• Career Institute West location is to be determined

Career Institutes strive to hire individuals with relevant experience pertaining to their subject. These individuals currently hold industry level certifications and years of experience in the field. 

All students will have the opportunity to earn multiple industry level certifications aligned to their chosen program of study. Some certification examples include; OSHA-10, NCCER Certifications (Core and Levels 1-3), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Pilot, Student Pilot Certification, Autodesk Revit, Autocad, Certified Production Technician (CPT), Industrial Technology Maintenance (TIM), CompTia Network+, CompTia Security+, and CPR-AED.

All courses follow the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for the program of study courses.

Example Curriculum:

• Construction Pathways: Paxton Patterson and The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)
• Interior Design: Goodheart Wilcox Interior Home Design
• Aviation Flight: AOPA
• Cybersecurity: Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA); Oracle Certified Associate (OCA)
• Mechatronics: National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS)

The Career Institutes program provides program selections and opportunities to enhance and deepen the educational experience of the student.  These additional experiences allow the student to be ready to enter the workforce and be successful immediately after high school graduation with the opportunity to further their education through college coursework.

All students will leave their Career Institute by 4:00 pm daily and will arrive back at their high school campus in time to participate in all extracurricular activities, clubs, and organizations.

The Career Institutes currently have over 75 industry partners who believe that industry and education must be partners in growing our future. These partners are dedicated to the enhancement of educational opportunities for students by providing hands-on experiences such as paid internships, mentorships, externships, and apprenticeships for our students.