Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education (WAAE) will have limited course offerings this Fall, but thanks to the support of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District our doors are open! Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education continues to serve the community in spite of the $1,650,000 fiscal reduction and the personnel reduction in both certificated and classified employees.  With all that we are experiencing, course offering fees have increased.  Classes will be closely monitored and many will need a specific number of students to operate.  We have polled students to assist us in the development of the school budget and course offerings.  We believe classes at Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education are still a great value for your money.
During the 2010-2011 school year, we had 28 students earn their Certified Nurse Assistant Certificates, resulting in many of them becoming employed soon after graduation.  We only have capacity for 15 students per semester.  If you are interested, sign up today!  
We had 35 students earn their high school diploma and 143 students earn their GED.   The GED (General Educational Development) certificate is composed of a series of 5 national tests in the areas of  Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies, which all must be passed.  Congratulations to all of the graduates, many of whom celebrated with us in the Mello Center on May 26th.  We know many of you watched American Idol.  Although we read about James Durbin of Santa Cruz and followed him weekly, James actually earned his GED at Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education with the class of 2010!  If you never finished your high school diploma and would like to do so, call us today!  It is never too late to fulfill your dreams.
Need a job?   Want to know your skill level?  A new program that is focusing on businesses is WorkKeys.  This assists employers in hiring the right person for the job.  WorkKeys is an assessment component and WIN is a training component.  Training will be offered in the WAAE computer labs with an instructor present.  The focus is on career oriented skills and proficiency areas in reading, writing, math, work habits, listening, applied technology, observation and teamwork.  WorkKeys is an assessment component in the following areas:  applied mathematics, locating information and reading for information.  Employers use the system to determine hiring qualifications and training needs.  WorkKeys is a national program and is just starting in California.  WAAE is the first institution in Santa Cruz County to offer this service to employers and employees.  Four levels of accomplishment are matched with the requirements of thousands of jobs.  The levels are Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.  Certificates are issued and registered by WorkKeys.  The advantages for the employers are:  provides concrete proof of an applicant’s workplace skills; identifies specific skills that need improvement; provides an objective method to rank job applicants; eliminates the need for an in-house assessment service.  Employees’ advantages are to: provide early identification of specific skills needed to qualify the employee for a promotion; provide an efficient method to fill gaps in the individual’s formal education; build confidence that individual skills meet the needs of local employers.  This is a very exciting new component for WAAE and we are looking forward to working with the business community as we launch WorkKeys.
Remember!   In spite of the many reductions (monetary, teachers, classified staff, administration), Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education was granted a three year Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Accreditation.  This is a magnificent accomplishment for staff, students, and the entire community.  Review our brochure and select classes you would enjoy.  On behalf of the faculty and staff at Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education, we invite you to take advantage of the dynamic learning environment and broad range of courses offered at the school.  Select classes today!