The programs offered in the industries academy are meant to help incoming juniors and seniors receive career-specific training and industry certifications while still in high school, according to the district.
Students in this program will attend their Plano ISD home campus as well as the Collin College Technical Campus at 2550 Bending Branch Way, Allen.
Courses available in the 2020-21 school year are part of three main programs: Advanced Manufacturing, Architecture and Construction and Science Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEAM.
In the Advanced Manufacturing program, courses include Biomedical Equipment Tech, Electronic Engineering Tech and Industrial Automation. The STEAM program offers Computer Networking, and the Architecture and Construction program offers Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD), Construction Management, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Welding Technology courses. Credit hours for each course vary.
More information on each of these courses as well as additional resources on scheduling and transportation can be found on the Plano ISD Career and Technical Education webpage.
Those who are interested in taking Industry Academy courses must complete an interest survey, apply to Collin College as a dual-credit student, complete a second interest form and, if accepted, pay tuition by May 15. Links to each of these steps are available here.
Tuition costs are $54 per credit hour, but free tuition is available based on household income, according to the district.
