Check out the South Western Career Academy's
Career Tech Program Drone Tour!

From digital electronics to early childhood education, fabrication, radiology to radiant energy, and everywhere in between, Career Technical Education helps students learn skills for the future. By the time the students graduate, they will have earned an education founded on rigor, career certifications, and on-the-job experience. The South Western City Schools Career Technical Programs prepare students for two-year and even four-year colleges. These programs are available at the district's four home high schools and the South Western Career Academy. Typically, two years in a single program are required to earn at least five credits, so students should choose carefully during their sophomore year for a two-year commitment to a program. Students coming out of each of these programs have the upper hand in landing a job because there is such a high demand in today's job sector for these skilled trades. For more information on Today's Career Technical Education, click on the About tab and view the videos, or click on the Programs tab to read more. 

Graduation 
Rate %:
Work-Based
​Learning Hours:
Total College Credits Offered:

Work-Based Learning By the Numbers


​Overall total Work-Based Learning Hours: 
  • 120,181.41 hours

Number of students who participated in WBL:
  • 277 out of 305 students (74%)
  • 57% of students had 250 hours or more
​

​Top Three Highest Earnings for Students:
  • 1956 hours for a total of $39,120
  • 1945 hours for a total of 35,010
  • 1768 hours for a total of 33,592

Important Upcoming Dates:
  • ​​Career Days . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  November 13-14; November 17-18, 2025
  • CTE Program Application Opens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  November 19, 2025
  • 8th Grade Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 1-5, 2026
  • Sophomore Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   January 27-28, 2026
  • Program Preview Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Wednesday, January 28; 6:00 pm-7:30 pm; SWCA
  • CTE Program Priority Applications Due . . . . . . . . . . .   Wednesday, February 4, 2026
  • Community ​Hiring Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Tuesday, April 28, 2026; 8:00 am-1:30 pm; CCHS
  • ​Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pitch Day . . . . . . .  Thursday, May 7, 2026; 9:30 am-11:30 am; SWCA Event Space
  • SWCA Passport Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Thursday May 21, 2026; 7:00 pm @ The Naz

SWCS Career Tech Receives the
​Highest Rating of 5 Stars!

The Career Technical Planning District Report Cards were released and the South Western City Schools received the highest rating of 5 stars, which significantly exceeds the state standards! The report measures components of Achievement, Graduation Rate, Career & Post-Secondary Readiness, and Post-Program Outcomes.  To find out more click the "Overview" button below:
​

Culinary and Hospitality Arts Students Win
​Ohio Beef Council Burger Battle!

​On November 13th of 2024, Alexis Lopez-Lopez and his teammate Araceli Rodriguez,  two Culinary & Hospitality Arts students, competed with students from across the state of Ohio in a unique culinary challenge, the 2024 Burger Battle.  This battle, sponsored by the Ohio Beef Council, brought together aspiring chefs to showcase their skills and creativity in crafting the perfect burger.  Historically, teams from the South Western Career Academy have placed 2nd or 3rd, but never clinched the top spot—until now.

This year, the stakes were higher as the event was filmed, capturing the students' journey from raw ingredients to award-winning burgers.  The ultimate task was to create and name a flavorful, marketable burger.  Alexis and Araceli provided a recipe, costing, and menu pricing along with a menu photo and menu description as part of the contest.  After a long, stressful competition, our students emerged victorious.

On the morning of February 4th, the winning team visited the Ohio Beef Council (OBC) headquarters in Marysville, Ohio to film a commercial for the OBC website. The footage will also be used to promote the event and highlight the talent and dedication of Ohio's young culinary enthusiasts. 
Click HERE to see the published video commercial!

2025-2026 Career Days and Sophomore Visits 

Each year, our sophomore students have a chance to experience Career Days where our programs come to their highs schools and bring interactive activities and information about our 17 Career Technical programs. It is a day of career exploration for students to see all of the options our district has to offer. After the Career Days, students then will have the opportunity to take part in our Sophomore Visits where they can tour our Career Technical programs and visit with teachers to learn more about the each career pathway. Finally, parent/guardians and students will get the chance to take part in Program Preview Night where both parent/guardians and their student can once again tour their programs of interest. Please stay tuned for upcoming dates for all of these events. The information will appear below as soon as it is available!
​
Central Crossing
​
Career Day:
​Thursday,
​November 13, 2025
​
Sophomore Visit to SWCA: 
Tuesday,
January 27, 2026
AM
Grove City

Career Day:
Friday,
​November 14, 2025
​​
Sophomore Visit to SWCA: 
Wednesday,
​January 28, 2026
PM​
Franklin Heights

Career Day:
Monday,
​November 17, 2025
​​
Sophomore Visit to SWCA: 
Tuesday,
​​January 27, 2026
PM​
Westland

Career Day:
Tuesday,
​November 18, 2025
​​
Sophomore Visit to SWCA: 
​Wednesday,
January 28, 2026
AM​
South Western Career Academy

Program Preview Night:
Wednesday,
 January 28, 2026
​6:00 pm- 7:30 pm
​

The South Western Career Academy is Now on Twitter--Follow Us!

@SWCA_Careers