The Carson High Silver Campus is shedding its reputation as a “Plan B” alternative school and rebranding itself as a hub for vocational training, aiming to fill a critical shortage of skilled tradespeople in Northern Nevada.
Dr. Susan Moulden, assistant principal of the Silver Campus, presented the pivot to the Carson City School District Board of Trustees during their first February meeting, outlining a curriculum designed to hand graduating seniors a “golden ticket” which means a diploma backed by trade skills and job offers.
“We have done a great deal of research … and the direction that we keep hearing is that the trades are in dire need,” Moulden told the board. “Many of our baby boomers are retiring, and so they are in need of the young to come in and replace them.”
The initiative relies on partnerships with local unions and organizations like the Nevada Builders Alliance and Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG). JAG has been operating at the Silver Campus for more than a decade, focusing on real skills and getting involved with government policy.
Moulden revealed that Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 350 has expressed interest in leasing classrooms at the Silver Campus on Monday through Thursday evenings to conduct apprentice training. This arrangement would not only utilize school facilities but potentially create a direct pipeline (pun intended) for students to enter the union’s apprenticeship program upon graduation.
“They want to lease out the Silver Campus and use our building,” Moulden said. “They don’t need a lab, they don’t need a welding shop … all they need is classroom space.”
Other partnerships include the Northern Nevada Electrical Training Center, which has volunteered to tutor algebra students — a key skill for electricians — and Carson City Toyota, which plans to send a vehicle and a technician to the campus to teach basic automotive maintenance.
“Research out there is saying that if you want to be the next millionaire, all you have to do is become an electrician,” Moulden said. “AI is not coming for the electricians. AI is not coming for the plumbers.”
Curriculum Overhaul
Under the proposed model, the school schedule will be tailored to prepare students for the workforce starting in their freshman year.
- Freshmen and Sophomores: Students will survey potential careers, attend field trips to job sites, and earn mandatory certifications including CPR and OSHA-10 safety training.
- Juniors: The first semester will focus on ACT preparation, followed by guest speakers from various industries.
- Seniors: Students on track for graduation will utilize a split schedule, taking core classes in the morning and spending afternoons in internships, apprenticeships or job shadowing programs.
To support this, the campus is introducing “Trade Technical Math” for seniors, a course designed to apply mathematical concepts directly to construction, landscaping and electrical work.
“We want those kids to be able to walk across that stage and receive that golden ticket,” Moulden said.
Board Support
Trustees expressed strong support for the shift. Trustee Richard Varner noted that the focus on high-paying trades offers a viable alternative to the traditional college pathway.
“I think it’s not only the responsibility of the school district to provide training for somebody to be college ready — but also work ready,” Varner said.
Trustee Michelle Pedersen praised the rebranding, emphasizing that the Silver Campus should be viewed as a first choice for students interested in vocational careers.
“It always had that reputation of being a plan B school, but it’s not. It’s an alternate plan A school,” Pedersen said.
Current enrollment at the Silver Campus stands at 82 students, with a capacity of 200. Moulden hopes the new focus will attract more students who are looking for practical, hands-on career preparation.
“We are in need, and we’ve got to get some kids who want to do this,” Moulden said. “If you are credit sufficient, the hope is that they have done such a good job during that job shadowing and the company has been so impressed with them that they’re going to offer them an internship, possibly apprenticeship, a paid tuition to a trade school, or they’re going to give them a job.”
