High Plains Technology Center’s innovative approach to teaching life skills is gaining popularity again in its third year, according to students who attended the course.
“Life Happens” is offered to High Plains Technology students and helps them with things like rent, car payments, insurance, homeownership, and even the hassle of transportation, said Katie, marketing director for High Plains Technology Center. Shirley says the course will help her overcome the difficult realities of life after graduation, such as getting a traffic ticket.
The course provides each student with a mock life scenario, but this year, the scenarios provided were not completely random. It included details about the salary and benefits of the profession in which each student was training. The training also provided students with access to real estate agents who will help them make decisions about the best way to provide them with a place to live.
“This year, Highway Patrolman Overton has joined us and will be randomly ‘pulling over’ students. We thought it was very important for them to learn how they interact with officers and know how that ticket would impact their finances,” Shirley said. .
The training also included the opportunity to “purchase” a vehicle through Barber Dyson. Shirley said the dealer brought in three different cars for the students to consider and fit into their budgets.
“They looked at a really cool Bronco, but then they looked at a really old Toyota Venza because of budget considerations,” she said. “What was really interesting was hearing their comments afterward. One person said, ‘I only have $50 left.’ Another person said, “It was minus $200.” ”
Shirley said a more detailed experience for seniors, called a “senior boot camp,” is already being planned.
The course will delve deeper into the details of home buying and renting, among other life realities, and explain what to look for in rental agreements and other valuable information, she said.
