Columbus City Schools (CCS) unveils a significant expansion in its Career-Technical Education (CTE) offerings with the launch of the Pharmacy Technician Program at Fort Hayes Career Center. In an update shared by the Columbus City Schools website, a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest lab symbolized a significant investment in the training and credentialing of future healthcare professionals. This decision bolsters the District's commitment to creating pathways directly bridging education and in-demand employment.
Designed to accommodate 25 students annually, the program pivots around a state-of-the-art laboratory fostering hands-on experience and industry-standard learning methods. Jenny Meade, Director of Career-Technical Education at CCS, highlighted the relevance of such programs by noting the abundant job opportunities for Pharmacy Technicians visible in a simple job search. She told Columbus City Schools, “The return of the Pharmacy Technician Program to Columbus City Schools reflects exactly what our CTE pathways are built for—preparing students each year for real, in‑demand careers.”
Under the guidance of Vicky Pate, a practicing Pharmacy Technician doubling as an instructor, students undertake rigorous coursework geared towards earning the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) credential. Superintendent/CEO of CCS, Dr. Angela Chapman, voiced the District's dedication to escalating the reach of CTE and related educational programs across high schools within the CCS framework, as stated on their website. She pointed to the 4.5-star rating received on the Ohio State Report Card as a testament to this effort.
Reflecting a state-wide trend, interest in CTE programs has surged in Ohio, catalyzing over 51,000 student enrollments statewide, with Columbus City Schools contributing about 11,000 of those figures. Local response has mirrored this trajectory, thrusting application numbers upwards and solidifying waitlists for sought-after career lanes. As per Fort Hayes Career Center senior De’Andre Demonia, who is part of the 2026 graduating Pharmacy Technician class, his unawareness as a child about pharmacy technicians highlights an outreach gap that CCS and the new lab are now aiming to close. According to a Columbus City Schools interview, De'Andre said, “They never really talk about the backbone – the pharmacy technicians who are actually getting things done. Not saying the pharmacists aren’t getting things done. When I heard about a [pharmacy technician], I thought this sounds really good, so I ended up choosing it and I loved it.”
Expansion efforts have not been confined to the laboratory at Fort Hayes. Programs related to Exercise Science and Medical Assisting have spread throughout the District, including Columbus Downtown High School and East High School. The newest lab renovation and program were initiated thanks to the Chase New Skills Ready Grant and Perkins funds, with CCS celebrating the support of various partners that have made these opportunities possible for students. The efficacy of CTE programs is mirrored in the reported 95% graduation rate for CTE students at CCS and the large number of industry credentials earned by students in the previous year, which equip them with tangible qualifications for immediate workforce entry or further education.
