A South central Kentucky school district is getting students career ready.

They're introducing them to new technologies, teaching valuable skills and technical education.

Our Laura Rogers has more.

And this Education matters, reports Edmonson County Public Schools, doubling down on career and technical education.

Last year, the state awarded the school district $10 million for renovations and an expansion at the high school's Vocational Education Center.

TVA also gave the district a grant to invest in solar energy.

Shane Wilson spent 30 years in engineering before taking that experience and knowledge to the classroom at Edmonson County High School.

A lot of our students are getting jobs, but not really strong careers.

It is Wilson's goal to change that.

Making sure students know they have choices when they graduate.

For a long time, you know, it was you go to college after high school, four year degree or you're sort of a failure.

Well, that's not the case.

We had a mission statement that we wanted all of our students to be able to know their options have different pathways.

We are learning a little bit of everything to do with engineering.

We've learned about the career systems.

We've learned about fasteners, which are nuts and bolts and stuff that hold things together.

We've learned about the solar project.

The solar project is the result of a TVA school uplift energy grant.

The way the solar panels actually work, they tilt with the way the sun moves.

It's supposed to.

The school district purchased the solar panels back in the fall and installation began in November.

People know about solar, but they really don't know what it all entails.

So what our students here have learned is the technology behind it.

We have been studying how to produce the energy from it.

The solar panels will power 18,000 kilowatts.

The students are learning the technical processes behind how the panels generate electricity from the sun's rays.

So we learned that it goes to a battery.

It's got to be converted back with an inverter to make AC voltage that you can actually use in a house.

So it's not just a plug and play.

There's a couple of processes in there that takes the sun's energy, converts it to battery energy, and that converts it to AC energy that you can use in inside of a building.

The students say it's been interesting to get an up close look at how renewable energy works, as well as their robotics and 3D printing projects.

They're doing in class.

And I like to be more hands on and creative, and I also like making things working with engineering.

It also helps us with our communication skills and working with other people.

We've learned about how to program a robot.

We've been learning a lot about careers.

Area employers, including Blue Obelisk and AEC, have visited the school to show support for their program.

Really?

We felt like if we can get some relationships with some businesses, local businesses, factories, industry, and we became pipelines for those workforce spots, then that would really do our students the best benefit.

Shane Wilson says future plans include offering more industry certifications like CDL and forklift trainings.

They also offer dual credit classes through Sky, CTC apprenticeships and co-ops.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you, Laura.

Kyra Elementary School in Edmonson County is also involved in the solar panel project.

They will use it to power a greenhouse at the school.

TVA says the solar panels help reduce energy costs by 10%.