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A recent NBC news story suggested Gen Z might be the Toolbelt Generation. Why choose college debt when you can learn a trade, support yourself, and even choose college a little later? AI, Automation, Politics, even changing habits for consumers – why worry about those challenges ahead when “dirty jobs” offer you a quick start to supporting yourself right out of high school?
Above: One of many early 2026 headlines, emphasizing a choice to start with the trades and earning your own way without college debt.
Since its opening in 2005, the A.W. Beattie Career Center has given incredible opportunities to thousands of students in Allegheny County. Offering a whopping 18 diversified programs, the center is available for kids attending numerous different school districts, including Avonworth. Beattie enables students in 10th grade and above to gain real work experience before the time they graduate high school.
In order to properly understand how Beattie operates, 9th grade students at Avonworth are given the chance to visit the facility prior to submitting an official application. The field trip serves as students’ first opportunity to explore the Beattie Center in-person, allowing them to visualize what a school day would look like if they were to attend. Of the 18 programs offered, 9th graders have the ability to tour 4 of their favorites for the day.
The field trip will take place on Thursday, January 22nd, and students will leave immediately following their lunch period. School counselors Mrs. Levis and Dr. Maloney hold a significant role in making the visit happen.
A few members of the freshman class shared their thoughts.
- “Yes, I’m going. I want to make sure that I definitely want to do cosmetology and just see where everything is.” – Lailah Laird, 9th grade
- “No, I’m not going on the Bettie field trip because it’s not something I would want to do when I’m older. I know I’m not a hands-on type of person.” – Jocelyn Grande, 9th grade
- “Yeah, I’m going. I’ve had many interests and I want to be able to explore more options. I also can pick what I like and be able to start early and know a lot more things once I go to college.” – McKenzie Haney, 9th grade
Hopefully, this field trip will better educate Avonworth freshmen on the opportunities provided to help them reach their goals regarding their careers in the future, whether that be secondary education or a job in the workforce. However, even if some students who attend the field trip choose not to pursue their instruction at the A.W. Beattie Career Center, they will still leave with a better understanding of the opportunities at their disposal.
