A career and technical program at Dawson County High School recently received national attention in an education newsletter that promotes academic performance.

The high school's Career, Technical and Agricultural Education program has played a role in helping raise the school's graduation rate in the past 9 years, according to adviser Neil Harrison.

Last month's article featured in the "High Schools That Work" newsletter contained information about Harrison and the program.

Harrison said the strength of the program, which helps students shape a career pathway, lies in the motivation it creates for young people.

"It gives our students something tangible to shoot for," Harrison said. "We want to give them a chance to study what they want to do for the rest of their lives ... what they may be interested in.

"The bottom line is, no matter how much education they get, it needs to be preparing them for some sort of career choice," he added.

DCHS offers students seven CTAE programs with a total of 15 recommended career pathways.

The programs are agriculture, automotive service technology, business education, engineering and technology, family and consumer science, healthcare science technology, marketing and management.