<p>Family, friends, educators and construction industry leaders packed the Harris-Stowe State University auditorium July 8 to support the sixth graduating class of the Construction Careers Center High School (CCC).  This class of 60 graduates is the largest graduating class in the school's history.</p>
<p>One third of the graduates will continue their education at the college level to pursue careers in construction; 18 of those received scholarships.  Another 32 graduates will pursue two or four year degrees in other careers.  One of the graduates, Keith Thomas, has been awarded the $5,000 Ranken Technical College Scholarship for 2010 at the designation of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay.  Eleven from the class of 2010 will take Ameren's pre-employment test on July 12, 2010 following in the footsteps of previous graduates.</p>
<p>The 2010 commencement exercises included opening remarks by Valedictorian Brianne Bush, who earned a 3.9 GPA.  The keynote speaker for the program was the Honorable Darlene Green, comptroller for the City of St. Louis.</p>
<p>The Class of 2010 is the sixth to graduate from the CCC, the first charter high school in the nation dedicated to preparing young people for careers in the construction industry. The school, founded in 2001 by the Associated General Contractors of St. Louis to help bolster the quality and availability of skilled construction professionals and trades-people in the St. Louis region, boasts 47 graduates working in the industry.</p>
<p>The CCC provides a four-year, fully accredited high-school-level curriculum and broad exposure to the construction industry and relevant career and technical educational preparation. The school's construction curriculum is specifically designed by the industry to prepare students for direct employment, apprenticeship training, a community college or a four-year degree institution.</p>
<p>"The Construction Careers Center offers a full high school curriculum in addition to offering our students a pathway into the construction industry," said Paul Shaughnessy, CCC board president. "Our students have the additional benefit of an entire industry that is willing to stand with them in support of their endeavors."<br /> "The AGC is proud of our 2010 graduates," said Leonard Toenjes, AGC president. "The construction industry is certainly facing tough economic times, but the need for preparing young people for entry into our industry in the future continues.  We are confident that through our post-high school placement program we can offer each student the opportunity to define their future path."</p>
<p>The Construction Careers Center is currently accepting enrollment applications for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year.  Students may apply online at <a href="http://www.constructioncareerscenter.com">www.constructioncareerscenter.com </a>or by calling 314.588.9991.</p>