One And Done: Christian McKay

The P-TECH program has given Christian McKay a head start on his career. He's already working as a Mechanical Technician at Carrier while attending Onondaga Community College. "I was always interested in technology. I thought this would be a great pathway to start and get into the field. Now I'm ahead of everyone else. I'm looking around and seeing kids who are still going to college and I'm getting ready to go to work."

P-TECH stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High School. It's a program that provides high school students the opportunity to work toward their high school diploma and associate degree simultaneously, and provide them a pathway to an in-demand job.

McKay is a member of Phoenix High School's class of 2020. He started taking P-TECH classes on the OCC campus two days a week during his junior year of high school. He found himself fitting in to life on a college campus. "It was a good experience to see high school and college students together. By my second semester I had already taken two classes here and everything felt normal."

As a senior he came to campus five days a week. He had his choice of pursuing either an Electrical Technology or Mechanical Technology degree. "I found the mechanical more interesting with the machining work and working on different types of equipment."

The P-TECH program gave McKay the opportunity to do job shadows and internships. That first-hand exposure to the industry led to him being hired by Carrier where he's worked throughout this academic year. He's hoping his time there as a Mechanical Technician will lead to full-time employment after he receives his degree this May, just one year after leaving Phoenix High School.

Students begin hearing about P-TECH in the 8th grade. McKay hopes future students will keep an open mind and give P-TECH strong consideration. "I was good at math and good in technology classes. This is a different option from regular high school. It puts you on the path to a trade."