Good to Know: Kenneth Berg CCTC

Paul Reiser and Jeff Beimfohr talk with Caddo Career and Technology Center Principal Kenneth Berg about how they are working to build our youth for promising technical and trade careers.

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KTBS Podcasting and the Committee of 100 present Good to Know Shreveport-Bossier, a podcast series showcasing the good things happening in our area. We’ll go in-depth about economic development, community growth and other topics about initiatives that are having a positive impact in our community. We’ll have new episodes every other Wednesday. You can find the KTBS Good to Know podcast wherever you listen to podcasting. Or go to KTBS.com or KTBS Now on your streaming device to see the full interview.

Hey. Hello again.

Everybody, welcome to another edition
of Good to Know Shreveport-Bossier.

This is the podcast.

We showcase all the good things
happening around our community.

My name is Jeff Pine. For over here.

I have to do this every week,
even though I try to resist.

It's my co-host, Paul Reasoner.

You know,
he used to cook French fries for a living.

He's a member of the, What is it?

Committee of 100. You.
And you're a big shot in that, aren't you?

It's on that, is it?

The that.

Anyway, he's a big shot.

Every week
we, we, focus on all the cool topics

and initiatives that have positive impacts
around our community.

We have new episodes
every other Wednesday,

and you can find good to know
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Listen. Watch.

All right. Awesome.

Mr. racer, we've grown accustomed to this.

This is your spot.

Well, now it's our illustrious guest.

Well, thank you, Jeff.

I always look forward to
how in the world you're going to,

describe me and introduce me every week.

Can't put me in a box, Jeff.

I may be a carton.

I'll call you baby shampoo,
baby in the quarter.

Whatever it was.

Well, as per usual,
super excited about our guest today.

Jeff, you're gonna like this one.

I always do.

I know you do. Mostly I like your intros.

Well, they always go on and on.

But, today we're going to be talking
about opportunity.

opportunity for young folks in the area
because you think about,

college education is getting very,
very expensive, I understand.

That's for sure. Yes. Yeah.

And you have kids, you know,
I know I got a huge range last year.

My friend
who graduated last one finally graduated.

All right.

but, you know, some kids,
they don't want to go to college.

They say,
I don't want to go into that kind of debt.

How can I, you know, get around that.

I'm certain that's going to prepare me
for the workforce before,

you know, without going to college.

Some kids want to go to college,

and they want to get some hands
on experience ahead of time.

Well, both of those can be accomplished.
Was today's guest.

Well, tell us,
are you interested to find out?

Well, I wasn't until this went on and on,
but go ahead.

No, it's super awesome.
So we have this thing called the career.

The career Technology Center.

I've heard of that.

Yeah, it's usually an acronym,
but I wanted to say all the words.

Okay.

but if you're interested in
how in the world

are you going to get your kid a job?

You want them to get out of the house?

I know my parents did.

Or, you know, if you have a business,
you're looking for a workforce.

How are we going to find them?

We're going to talk to the principal
today.

Kenneth Berg. Finally, finally we got.

Hey, this is worth the
wait, because this is a good.

You're going to be impressed.

Kenneth. Welcome to the show, man. Well,
thank you.

I appreciate you, gentlemen, inviting me
to the show and helping me spread the

the word of the good things that happen
at category and technology, sir.

Okay. Oh. Go ahead.

Go. Well, because some people say,
oh, you know, vo tech.

What is that?

This is not your father's
woodworking shop.

This is.

That's good.
Because that was really state of the art.

Yeah.

So tell us a little bit
about what you guys really do there.

Well, category and technology center.

We serve the ten high schools in Caddo
Parish.

North Caddo and Vivian.

They have their own little mini
career center.

So we we serve the the other ten schools.

And so students grades nine through 12

can sign up for one of our classes
at their home school.

And basically, we work as, a center
where kids are taking electives.

So any student interested in

welding, automotive technology, video

production, nursing, any of those classes
about electrical contracting?

We we have that too.

any of those classes,
they sign up at their home school

and hop on a bus ride to the career
center, take our class

ride back to their home school
and finish their day there

so they don't just come to your facility
for the entire day.

No, sir.

They're they're basically there
for just two periods.

like, first and second that way.

And the other center, they're not just
learning how to change tires.

I mean, it's
high tech computer understanding

the the workings of the car
and it's state of the art isn't it?

Yes, sir.

Our automotive center is second to none.

they we've we've won awards
for the center.

the kids may when they come
in, they learn.

They learn basics such as changing oil,
putting air and tires.

But they they learn also how to use,

very advanced diagnostic tools

that you would use in a dealership to,

to plug into the car's computer
and see what the problems are.

I mean, you got to know all that stuff
to work on a car these days.

There's, you know, I put the hood up.

I'm like,
I don't even know where. I know, right?

Like, my dad was,
he was an electrical contractor,

an electrician
before he got off the line. But,

he was a kind of guy
that would probably could run your school.

I mean, he was just that kind of guy.

He could do anything.

I had none of that.

I could do none of that stuff.

And he would always get so mad at me
because he'd make me stay home

and work on him,
and I'd screw it up and say,

all right, do what you want to do,
go play basketball or whatever.

But then I admire the folks
that are doing that kind of stuff.

We need more people
to do this kind of stuff.

When you think about it, it's not just
they may be learning a, a craft.

They can they're,

they can ready to start working some,
when they get out of school.

They're certificates that they're getting.

Yes, sir.

But then this is also to me

a step to own your own business
if you want to own your own business.

Yes, we we do incorporate a lot,
a lot of entrepreneurial skills

within each one of our programs.

So we try to highlight not just the

the skills within each trade,
but but also a business side

so they can see the many different
aspects, many different careers

they could have in the,
in the electrical field or

you know, any of our classes.

So, so we spend a lot of time

on, entrepreneurial skills, soft

skills, employability skills, like you
said, the opportunities available.

So yesterday we were talking about one
what I thought was a narrow field.

And you just went off.

You gave me like 30 different job
opportunities.

So you're exposing them to all the
possibilities like give me some example.

Well, we we have a summer program,
and the summer program is fantastic

because students that don't necessarily
have room

in their schedule at their home
school can come over and take a class.

It's a four week class, at the Career
Center, they earn a high school credit,

an industry based credential,
and they get a $1,000 stipend.

We're finishing up tomorrow.

but we had a couple of kids take auto body
collision repair a few years ago,

and they were we had some female students
that that were in that program.

They were all college bound.

None of them ever even considered
a career, an auto body collision.

But they wanted to be
in the summer program.

Three of the girls came back the next fall
and took this, our instructor's class,

and he focused their instruction on
like one of them

was an artist, so he focused it on
painting and refinishing.

Another young lady
wanted to be an accountant,

so he focused on estimating
and the business side of the program.

So, so some of those kids,
we can specialize their instruction

and, and that, you know, that,
basically lets more people know

that it's not just the skill, but
but also many different business aspects.

That's very cool.

Is there one program
that's more popular than another or.

They're all pretty well,
all of them are fairly popular.

But I told Paul yesterday, the two that
that, fill up the fastest culinary arts

because kids want to leave their home
school, come over, learn

how to cook, eat something,
and then go back and welding.

well, yeah.

Yeah, I know there's a need for that.

we also have a patient care
technician class,

which which is a little more advanced
than a certified nursing assistant.

And those classes very popular.

They fill up all kids interested
in going into the medical field.

What's the attraction
of the welding program?

you know, there are a lot of

job opportunities,
but kids like to to work with their hands.

And when you think about it, you've got

you've got fire, you've got fire and metal
and you're creating

and it's just, a cool environment.

I think when they're done,
they can see what they created, something.

There's something there in front of them.

Absolutely.

And and you, you

do you feel pretty good about yourself
if you're able to use your hands and,

and create something and,
and thaw a few sparks,

that's not only when they come
in, I imagine saying, oh, that looks cool.

That's fun.

I get to put on the welding torch,
but then you say,

oh, do you know there's

so many different aspects of welding,
whether it's, you know, regular

sheet metal or aluminum
or stainless steel,

and then you can go to the bottom
of the sea or wherever

and expose them
to all these different opportunities.

And maybe some of them say, wow,
and I can make a lot of money as a welder.

Yes, sir. And we do have kids.

Who's who, who have family members

that have worked as welders on pipelines
and things like that.

And when they come over to our program,
we will start them off.

We have some virtual welding machines,

and we take those to different events
so people can try them.

And and we get them
a little experience on that and,

and some background
and then take them into the shop.

But we do have some machines
that you can control that you can control.

So you determine
what kind of what kind of materials

you'll be welding the gas
that you use, the temperature.

And so kids do learn that there's way

more than stick welding,
to that field, to it.

And I find, I've met several CTE teachers.

CTE was a career technical edge.

Yes, sir.

And, they're special folks.

They really care about the kids because.

And where do they come from?

What's the background
of your typical CTE teacher?

You know, all over we have teachers that
come straight that come from industry.

You know, they may have retired.

we had a gentleman who,

worked as an Hvac technician,
and then he was in the sales side

and decided

he wanted to come, work with children
and and help promote the trade. So.

So he came over.

And so we have some retirees,
we have some traditional teachers

that are skilled in these areas,
and, and they come over,

and, and

then we
have people from the local community

that a lot of people don't realize
that their job opportunities in education

that don't require the formal education
that, that a teaching certificate does.

And I've,

I've actually hijacked a few people from,
from around town that I meet at events.

And it's like, well, this young
lady is an amazing fashion designer.

Let me talk to her
and see if she would be interested

in teaching high school kids
more like practical experience that.

Yes, yes.

And so people that have, the industry
based certification

that relates to their field and five years
experience

can get a career in technical education
teaching license.

Okay.

So they don't have to have
that formal education.

The state realizes
the value in their experience.

You could tell everybody, how'd I do
French fries?

I can teach you.

It's a

culinary arts.

They don't trust me in the kitchen.

I have spoken

at some culinary arts classes before,
and it's always the kids are always fun.

because they want to know
about the business aspect.

Yeah. How do I.

How do I start my own restaurant,
you know? Right.

So it's really neat that people
from actually from the industry that own

a welding business are also teaching
the welding and so forth.

So they give them that full,

just a full spectrum of education
when they come in.

But I mean, I'm assuming
you get probably get more attention

from the kids in these classes
because they get to really

know how to do something
when they're taking these classes.

We have so few discipline
problems on our campus

because the kids that are
there want to be there.

They're there
for a limited amount of time.

There. Interested in the subject matter?

We have them fully engaged,
so we have like an ice room,

a traditional ice.

We go months without there

ever being a kid
that has to be removed from class.

So it's because they are all interested
in engaging what is stands for.

the means bad kid in school suspension.

No wonder I don't know.

well, they never

let you get that far. so.

So I guess it reduces the, the dropout.

Like kids that are in these classes.

They have a they have a plan now?

Yes, sir.

And I looked at I looked at the,

the national average
and then the the national what?

Nationally, 97% of kids
that are enrolled in CTE

or CTE courses graduate from high school.

So, wow, those kids have a much lower
dropout rate,

because they see the, you know,
they see what's going to happen next.

You know, they they can
they know where they're headed.

Can you just kind of like spout off
some of the dirt?

I know you have over 30 classes
that you teach.

We've talked about welding and

and culinary arts, but what are some of
the other classes we have?

machine shop.

And so the, the kids learn, machining
and they so,

so they're working on the same kind
of equipment

as, as places, like a

I think it is out on North Market.

and machining is kind of a lost

art these days,
and not many kids know what it is.

but there's so many opportunities
in the field

where they're creating parts and tools

and, and being able to do the, the,
the CNC

programing side to have the machine
do what you need it to.

It's, it takes a special skill set
and not many kids know what that is.

But we have kids that are interested
in engineering, that we tour kids

all over the school all the time
and let them know these opportunities.

And so we'll have students
that weren't aware that

there were jobs, that they did machining,
and now they do.

And that's where they are.

What was
what was the origin of the school?

How did it get started?

We were we were Union High School,

back in they the the school was
originally constructed in the 50s

as Union High School and
and then when, when

Catto desegregated the district

Union High school was closed down
temporarily

and converted into a career
and technical education center.

so they were thinking way back then.

Yes, sir.

We had our 50th anniversary
a year or so ago.

it's. Yeah, it was it was exciting. It's.

So do you have Hvac and medical things?

We have we have, in the medical field,

kids can, take an EMT class.

They can take a dental assisting class.

Our dental
assisting class is very popular.

And the kids,

get to get to work
on state of the art equipment,

and we have so many local dentists
that are on our advisory council

that these kids get to go job shadow,
and so many of them are placed,

to do internships, even in high school.

This is terrific.

this is terrific idea
because, I mean, like Paul said early

on, going to college
these days is ridiculous.

So the expensive so
and then it's not for everybody.

So you're kind of curriculum would suit
I think a lot of people in this day

and age.

Yes, sir. And we're really my goal.

I've been there for 12 years and over
our, over my 12 years,

I've worked really hard
to get the word out and change

the perception because there were
some negative perceptions years ago

that skilled trades
aren't as valued as a college education.

Until we got to the point
where nobody could do anything.

Right, right, right.

And when when you have to,
when you once you,

you pay to have a plumber
come out to your house

and you get that bill, you think, wow,

this this is a lucrative profession.

And so kids start seeing that and realize

that there's real value in the community,
the trades.

I think these technical schools
are just vital to the to the

survival of America.

Really? Yes, sir.

Right now, you know, I read a stat
the other day, Jeff, you're gonna love

this.

10,000 baby boomers a day reach retirement
age 10,065 year olds a day.

Wow. First of my first reaction to that is
I didn't know you could read it.

Go on.

Well, it was audiobook, and I like this.

And 9% of those owned businesses.

So as these people start to retire,
their kids don't want to.

A lot of their kids

don't want to take over the Hvac
business and climb in the attic,

or they don't want to take over
the plumbing business. Yeah.

And now, who's going to come fix my air
conditioner and my all that stuff?

So there's a huge job gap.

Yes. Skills gap out there.

I mean, I mentioned my dad again.

I'm boring,
I guess, but, I mean, he went to

if you heard of his school
called Rank and Tech and Saint Louis

Tech School

way back
then and he that's where he went. And,

learned all, you know, how to be
an electrician and all that kind of stuff.

But, then he wound up having, like, 40
electricians working for him, and,

I had no,
I had no interest in taking that over

when I wish
I would have now a huge opportunity now

to get trained to go work for a business
and then learn

and either start your own or buy
that from that person.

I don't I think that's a huge opportunity
right now for business.

And years ago when when Mike Rowe had
the Dirty Jobs show, he from from

that experience, he has really changed

the national perception of skilled trades.

And he through the Micro Foundation,
they offer all the scholarships and grants

for school districts,
you know, trying to start programs.

And he's he's done a lot to change
the perception of the skilled trades

nationally.

And and that I think
really was sort of a catalyst

to more national awareness
of the skills gap.

And I think we've had enough
French art major history.

whatever.

Who's gonna be taking up journalism?

Yeah, I, I'm

yes, 100% on that.

No. Oh they're all important
but some other B though it's harder

to make a job right out of school and
and I'll tell you what.

Every Hvac guy
and I was trying to hire like crazy.

Yes, sir.

And one of the things that
that we like to do at our school

is not just,
you know, we're not just trying to sell

kids on skills
that will give them careers,

but we also try to just teach them

things that make them a better consumer.

like the automotive class.

Yes. You learn how to change oil
and do some diagnostic work,

but but you also learn, things
that will make you a better

consumer on the I had some tires
put on my car like five years ago.

And and when I get it
and when I mentioned it

to the automotive instructor, he
he was like, well, you know, you can tell

when those tires were made and where
they were manufactured them really.

And and so the kids had just learned this,
show. Mr.

Burt, I'll be darned if when the kids
didn't look at the date of manufacture,

the four tires,
one of them had been made that year,

and the other three were two years old.

So they're sitting on a shelf
for two years, right?

And chemically,
they start to break down after seven.

So if I had taken that class,
I could have looked you.

Right. Yeah.

Yeah,
that's a good thing, you know. Right.

Just being a better consumer and you get
kids from every school there, right?

Yes, yes.

Magnet kids and it doesn't cost
extra to go to take these.

No. No sir, no sir.

And and to to your point, the one of the
best things about our school is it.

And I mentioned yesterday,
Paul, it's really like, a melting pot of

or a microcosm of the city of Shreveport,
because kids that take our classes

will then be in a class with kids
that they may never run into in life.

And so you build relationships
and you just gain a better

understanding of, of people
that we wouldn't run into.

And, and those relationships will help
strengthen the community.

So that's
I think that's one of those positive

benefits that people don't realize.

We've been doing this.
You said 12 years. Yes, sir.

So obviously you're passionate about it.

What are you most proud about
about your school?

Well, one
that we've we've really spread the word

about the good things
that happen in our school and, and help,

help that negative perception.

think we're changing that.

But we've started for, well,
for the past 5 or 6 years.

We've really worked to make sure kids
earn credentials

that are of value to local industry,
local businesses.

And we have about 76% of the kids
that attend our school

and take take one of our classes, leave
with a certificate

that is recognized by local industry
and the state and

and that sort of thing wasn't happening,

when, when I first took the reins.

And part of that is because of the state

is really focused on career and tech
and you get a lot of,

local businessmen or,
come in and talk to the kids

and make presentations,
that kind of stuff.

Absolutely.

and we're always looking for more people
to, to join

our different program advisory councils.

We have guest speakers come in to each of
the different programs regularly.

And, and that's, that's
what sells kids on careers,

you know, hearing firsthand, it's
not the textbook.

It's the hearing firsthand.

So, he made a joke out of it before,
but I'm just.

You have a radio. Television,
wing of this?

Oh, yeah, we have we have, not radio,

but we have a film production class,

and we have, digital animation.

We've got graphic arts,
but the film production class

and it's top notch.

We work with, like the local,

Gregory Kahlenberg and Praise Fest.

We really participate in film
prize junior.

We, we've had we've had students
that have have placed and won

my kids only in eighth grade,

but he did get viewers to audience choice.

this this, spring. That's awesome.

So we've got
we've got, great, great program for film,

digital animation,
our graphic arts, commercial art.

So the kids learn the art of advertising.

And so we we've definitely got
some of those.

You got it all covered, man. Is awesome.

Is the school completely full or is there
opportunity for people to get in?

You know, so last year
we had 1200 kids, a little over like 1241.

That was the most we've had
since I've been there.

And when you look,
if each class was maxed out,

we could have 1600 students a day.

So that's your match? That's our max.
We could.

We could have another 400 kids a day

come through there before
we're we're just bursting at the seams.

Yeah. Wow. Well,
and you can go all four years.

So if you've no room for your freshmen,
maybe in the next couple years.

Well, the the kids,

if they come all four years, do

they stay with the same program
or do they switch around and, oh,

some of them like to take the same program
for a year or two?

most of them, we like to have them
experience different, different classes.

We have one class that we started
called Survey of Skilled Trades.

And so the kids, take
it's like a month long

unit on carpentry, a month long
unit on electrical, on plumbing.

And we go through and the kids experience

a little bit of other classes
that we offer,

and so they can make a more informed
choice of what they would like to do.

But that's another one of those classes
that's that's just awesome for somebody

that one day will own a home,
you know, because of the skills you learn

and just exposing people
to all the different opportunities

there are out there for work that that
a lot of people don't even know of.

Like, I was going to be an astronaut or,
a hamburger flipper and.

Yeah, well, you mean astronaut thing
didn't work out, you know,

but there was other options.

I could have went into something else,
maybe.

Yeah, absolutely.

How popular is that film production
program?

It's. It's popular.

We're we we stay full with that
that particular program

and and with with all of the
the excitement of of,

people coming into town with production
companies and we're really,

I think that we would help

create a great pipeline
of skilled workers,

for film production and things like that,
because the kids,

they learn, Adobe Premiere Pro,
they can learn Adobe After Effects.

so we can we can get them a lot of skills.

And I think that really with the energy
in Shreveport right now, that's

a growing opportunity to help with films
that are coming to coming to town.

We need a bigger film
production, crews available.

But then also every business,
they're trying to get everything

on the internet
now, everything social media.

So you're constantly everyone's
looking for video production.

So I'm sure that's very useful. Yes, sir.

Yes, sir. It's crazy.
Jeff. That's amazing.

You know, I just was,
he keeps calling you, saying.

Yes, sir. That's the most.

You're not used to a level of respect
like that.

That's why I'm talking so much.

There's a lot of politeness here
that I'm just not used to in this room.

All right,

I given enough.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

I didn't do it again.

You all right?

So where does the school go from that?

Are you actively trying to recruit kids
to get to that 1600 level, or

is that organic, absolute?

Lee, we're
we're constantly in the high schools.

We we do presentations to to all the high
schools at their registration assemblies.

And we we do
we send people out to the middle schools.

What we really like to do
is have our students, current

students, talk to their peers.

And because the the word of mouth

from student to student,
that's what sells the program.

That's your best. Yes, sir.

Tool.

Absolutely.

Parents and kids come and, tour
the school during the summer.

During the school year?

Yes, sir.

We do. We have, tours all the time.

They they call call the school.

And, I personally do many of the tours.

If I'm not around my

one of my counselors or other staff
members, we love showing off what we have.

Yeah.

Caddo, Caddo
Parish schools does a fantastic job

of making sure we have what we need
so that.

So that the kids receive the best
training and education there.

And so it's, it's fun to to show off.

to show those things off.

If they, want to get in touch
with your school or call you, or

how do they get in touch?

The the school's website
is one of the best ways.

Caddo career.com.

they can also reach out
through social media.

as a matter of fact,
I encourage people to check out

Caddo Career on Facebook and Instagram
this week.

We have about 25 students
at a national competition in Atlanta

through our skills USA, which is,

a student professional student
organization.

And these kids won their gold medal
at the state competition.

They're out there competing
nationally this week.

And showing lots of pictures
on social media of their progress

and what they're doing.

Good for them.

Man, I forgot to even talk about the.

There's some, we got about a minute.

I know, but
but you just talked about scholarships.

There's a scholarships available.

We do have a Caddo Career
and Technology Center foundation,

and they provide 40 students
a year, a $2,000 scholarship each.

And it's all funded by members
of the local community.

So local communities
investing in our students

and that's only available to kids
that attend the Career Center.

So it's it's
something we're very proud of.

and another another great perk
to attending our school.

I get I'm impressed, ma'am. Well.
Thank you.

I told you it was going to be good.

Oh, this is good. No, but I was like,
I don't believe you at all.

But we will about these.

Yes,
we do, but just, to go to the website

and see all the things available, contact
you and go take a tour.

I would recommend it to anybody because
it's a great, great, great facility.

Thank you.
All right. Thanks for being here.

I appreciate that.

I appreciate being invited
to. Good to know.

Maybe we can come out sometime and, like,
take a look at some of these things.

Well, and and I would
I would highly encourage

you to,
we'll make sure you hit the culinary.

The culinary.

Here we go.

So, this is eating
so you don't leave hungry.

I think, all right.

We appreciate being Kenneth Berg
from Caddo career in technology, right?

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

You did good, Paul. Thanks.

Hey, you want to
hear that often? not for me.

All right.

We are done for today.

Thanks for being here.

And be sure to watch your Good to know

Shreveport-Bossier
wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Thanks for being here.

Have a good one, everybody. Hey!