Butler Tech to introduce 2 high school courses

Butler Tech, the county’s career and technical education school, is introducing two high- school-level courses for the fall semester.

An electrical technology and power systems program and a three-year teacher pathway are now open for enrollment and will begin in August.

Electrical technology and power systems

While Butler Tech previously had an electrical technology program, it was sunsetted 12 years ago because of low enrollment, according to Director of Programming Ann Rush. In the meantime, she said the school’s construction trades programs at the D. Russel Lee location in Fairfield and some satellite campuses have satisfied some of the related education topics.

“Electrical is just a natural progression to build upon the popularity of the construction industry and the increased demand for electrical careers in the area,” Rush said of bringing the program back. 

The school determined the program was a popular request among local high school students by sending recruitment and marketing professionals to meet with school counselors.

“It’s another opportunity for us to create opportunities for students that are future-proof,” Rush said.

Students interested in the electrical technology and power systems program may complete either a two-year track or a one-year track. The two-year track is open to juniors, although enrollment for the fall 2026 semester ended Jan. 31. Enrollment for the one-year program, which is open to seniors, will close after March 15.

Students who complete the program will graduate with a National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Core and level one electrical credential, as well as a 10-hour construction safety Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) credential.

Students will learn about construction safety, residential electrical systems, commercial and industrial construction electrical systems and alternative and renewable power generation systems, among other topics.

According to Nick Linberg, assistant superintendent, this education will help students to get jobs in commercial or residential construction through laying conduit, pulling wire or building control systems.

To assist students beyond the classroom, Butler Tech has partnered with several local industrial partners, as well as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union, to provide job shadowing, training and hands-on opportunities. 

Butler Tech will also be reopening its electrical technology lab on the Fairfield campus. 

Linberg said when the first program ended, the lab was replaced with a welding lab. Since a new welding lab was installed at Butler Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Workforce and Innovation Hub in partnership with Miami University, which opened in January, there is now space for the electrical technology lab at Butler Tech.

The new lab will be updated based on current industry standards with new equipment, including mock-housing studs to practice running electric, electrical panels, wiring grids and other tools, Linberg said.

As not all of the school’s industry partnerships are official yet, Linberg said he was unable to disclose them before the start of the fall semester. Still, he said all of their partners have indicated they’re in need of employees with an electrical technology education. 

Since enrollment opened for the program, Linberg said students have already shown a strong enough demand to fill the program’s seats. To ensure everyone who applies has a fair chance of taking the course, if there are more applicants than seats, Butler Tech decides who can take the course through a random “lottery” process.

Overall, Linberg said of bringing back the program, “Electric’s not going away.”

“Running electric cannot be replaced by AI,” Linberg said. “(The program) will help keep our talent local for our local electric companies.”

Teacher pathway

According to Rush, Butler Tech has heard from several of its local school districts that many students are interested in becoming teachers, and some schools already have a teacher-preparation pathway in-house.

Nationwide, there are teacher shortages in many areas, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. In Ohio, for the 2025-26 school year, there are specifically shortages in teachers for art and music education, career and technical education, computer science, special education and health and physical fitness, among other subject areas.

Rush said a new three-year teacher pathway program, which will open to high school sophomores in the fall, will allow students to get a “kickstart” into their education degree program through a partnership with Miami University.

A Butler Tech instructor will become qualified as an adjunct faculty member through Miami, Rush said, so students can earn college credit through the program.

Students in the program will learn topics including child and adolescent development, classroom management, curriculum and instruction for teaching professions, education principles and foundations in education and training, as well as earn their CPR and first aid certifications.

Rush said students can earn up to 12 college credit hours transferable to Miami through the program, although taking additional academic coursework through College Credit Plus (CCP) could earn them up to a year of credit.

Applications for the teacher pathway program are also currently open and will close on March 15.

Linberg said of the developments at Butler Tech, “We’re just trying to meet the needs of our communities and our partners and our students.”

“If you need education, you do not have to leave Butler County,” Linberg said.