New programs can’t just pop up at Warren County Career Center.

The procedure involves several steps, including comparing proposals to employers’ needs state-wide.

Members of the Warren County School District board’s curriculum, instruction, and technology committee discussed some directions they might like to look to turn in the near future. They discussed cosmetology, early childhood education, robotics, and diesel equipment technology.

“It’s quite a process to be able to get a new program in place,” Director of Administrative Support Services Gary Weber said.

There are limited options.

“It has to be a program that’s offered by the state,” Weber said.

That programming is limited to current trends in the job market.

“It has to be a job that’s in demand,” Weber said. “It has to be on a list of top programming not only in our area, but across the state. A lot of the top of the list right now is health care related.”

The career center already offers health/medical assisting. That program has grown rapidly over the past few years.

If the district were interested in adding one of the top programs to its offerings, it could, but it still wouldn’t happen overnight.

“It’s a year-long process for us to write programming,” Weber said.

And, of course, the school board would have to be on board.

On Monday, the board did not push the district toward any new programs.

Weber said the district can add instruction to existing programs, if the board would like to see more emphasis in some areas.

“We have looked at offering (diesel tech) in what we already have,” he said. “We can get kids hands-on experience and teach diesel within some of the programs that we already have.”

Robotics programming is also available – at the career center building, but not through the career center proper. “We have pieces of that embedded within our STEM Academy,” Weber said. “It’s not part of the career center.”

There will be an open house at the newly-renovated career center – and STEM Academy – from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15.