School Year Courses
School Year Skills Center
2025-26 Application
Our 2025-26 Application is open! Check out our 2025-26 course descriptions.
PLEASE NOTE! The following classes are now full and new applicants will be added to the WAITLIST:
- AM Advanced Manufacturing @ Rainier Beach High School
- PM Advanced Manufacturing @ Rainier Beach High School
- AM Automotive Technology @ Skills Center Building at Washington Middle School
- PM Automotive Technology @ Skills Center Building at Washington Middle School
- PM Automotive Technology @ West Seattle High School
- AM Construction Trades @ Rainier Beach High School
- PM Construction Trades @ Rainier Beach High School
- PM Firefighting and Emergency Medical Services @ Skills Center Building at Washington Middle School
- AM Nursing Assistant @ Franklin High School
- PM Nursing Assistant @ Franklin High School
- AM Medical Assisting @ Lincoln High School
- PM Medical Assisting @ Lincoln High School
- PM Video Game Design @ Nova High School
Before enrolling, students interested in joining a Seattle Skills Center class should consider:
The Seattle Skills Center can be a rewarding, engaging opportunity for students to build skills and knowledge in a college/career path of their choice. It can also prove to be a very challenging environment for some students. Here are some things to consider as you decide if you should enroll in the Seattle Skills Center:
Spending half of your day at another school site requires independence, accountability, and responsibility. Additionally, it’s critical that students have the ability and willingness to follow instructions, especially around safety.
Seattle Public School rules and Washington State laws regarding intoxicating substances like marijuana and alcohol apply, especially due to the risk of injury when using tools or heavy machinery in our classes.
Students using intoxicating substances or being intoxicated at the Skills Center may result in being unenrolled in the Skills Center and having to return to their home high school for the rest of the school year.
Consistent attendance is critical. With our long block period classes, missing two days in one week is the equivalent of missing an entire week of a class in a typical 6 period day. Similarly, arriving late or leaving early impacts student learning and can result in students not being able to continue into second semester or passing their Skills Center class.
While many students enjoy the hands-on aspects of Skills Center classes, students need to know that there are traditional academic aspects to all of our classes. Reading, writing, listening to lectures, engaging in learning about math and history and working and communicating professionally in small or large groups are all important aspects of Skills Center classrooms and are required skills to earn industry recognized credentials and be successful in next steps in college and career, regardless of the career path you choose.
Students should talk with their school counselor and other adults at their home high school to determine if the Skills Center will be place they can learn successfully in, and confirm that it meets the credit requirements needed to stay on track to graduate.
What is the Seattle Skills Center?
The Seattle Skills Center is committed to delivering advanced career and technical education for high school students.
The Seattle Skills Center is a free program in Seattle Public Schools that prepares students for college, careers, and life. We provide advanced Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses that give students options to continue career-focused learning in college, earn post-secondary certification, or join the work force after high school.
Seattle Skills Center programs are located within Seattle Public Schools’ high schools and community-based sites throughout the city.
How are Skills Center courses unique?
Most CTE courses in middle and high school are one hour per day, one or two semester offerings, and a majority are exploratory courses. Skills Center Courses provide much more in-depth, preparatory learning experiences. In addition to high school credit, many of our courses offer industry recognized certifications and college credit.
Pathways to college, career, and life!
School Year Skills Center courses are a half day – three periods out of a six period school day, or around 2.5 hours.
Courses are a full year long. Students that complete a year of Skills Center courses earn 3 CTE credits. Many of our courses offer credit equivalency in fields other than CTE including Math, Science, English, and Physical Education. See our course list below for details.
Daily Schedule
Mon/Tues/Thurs/Friday (2.5 hours per day)
- Morning: 8:50-11:20 a.m.
- Afternoon: 12:45-3:15 p.m.
Wednesdays (1.5 hours per day)
- Morning: 8:50-10:05 a.m.
- Afternoon 12:45-2 p.m.
Registration
High School Credit: Classes are aligned with 11th and 12th grade schedules: 1.5 credits per semester for a full year program (3.0 credits total). Many classes offer the opportunity to earn dual credit for college. Please note: programs are unlikely to work with 9th grade school year schedules, due to core class requirements and graduation needs.
Enrollment Requirements:
- Only students in Seattle Public School District can enroll in Seattle Skills Center courses.
- For school year courses, students must be high school students.
- Students should apply only for one course, unless school counselors indicate otherwise
Registration Priority: To help ensure that 12th grade students have access to a Skills Center program before they leave high school, the Seattle Skills Center gives 11th grade students applying for Skills Center classes priority placement until March 8, at which point we will begin placing all other applicants into classes on a first come, first served basis.
Transportation
Skills Center classes are open to all students, regardless of home high school. Limited district transportation is offered to students who qualify and request it on their enrollment application.
Transportation services for Skills Center students in 2024-25 were significantly decreased compared to past years. For 2025-26, students who are determined by the district to qualify for a ride may get yellow school bus transportation from their AM Skills Center class to their home high school or from their home high school to their PM Skills Center class, but not the other leg of the commute. It may be best to encourage student athletes or students with other after-school commitments to take AM Skills Center classes when possible so they aren’t delayed getting back to their home high school at the end of the day. We will let you know if we receive updates to the district plan for transportation.
Course Descriptions
Read more about our school year courses below!