At Ames High, there is a class that will increase students’ career knowledge, responsibility and self-confidence. This class gives students the opportunity to earn college credit for professional experiences related to their career goals. It also gives reality to learning through work experience combined with classroom learning. These opportunities are offered by a class at Ames High called MOC (Multi-Occupations Cooperative). The MOC class was created for all students, regardless of their plans after high school. It teaches real life skills used in everyday life that are needed to be successful. Craig Boylan teaches the class. He has been teaching MOC for fifteen years at Ames High and for five years at Collins before that. Before Boylan came to Ames High, the class was called Trade and Industry. During the past few years, MOC has been run by DMACC. Students who take this class learn a variety of different skills such as writing resumes and cover letters, handling tough interview questions, filing taxes online, and budgeting and investing money. “This class has shown me how to be more prepared for interviews,” senior Christi Ling said. “It’s great to get this kind of information now because when the position I really want is available, I will know how to handle every question and get the job.” MOC is a year-long class that offers six high school and six DMACC credits that are transferable to Iowa State, Iowa and UNI. This gives students a big jump start on getting college credits out of the way. One requirement of the class is that students must have a job and work a minimum of ten hours a week. “You get paid to work and go to class which is really nice,” senior Chris Petersen explained. “I would recommend this class to everybody because it teaches you things you can use in the real world.” A big part of the MOC class is the guest speakers. Boylan brings in a variety of different people ranging from small business owners, realtors, bankers, resume specialists and Human Resource Departments from Iowa State, the City of Ames and Ames Schools. All the guest speakers work right in Ames. “We are spoiled to have such a variety of well-respected entrepreneurs share valuable information to us about their successes and stories,” Boylan said. “With the way the economy is now, having a job and managing money is more crucial than ever. MOC will teach you life skills you won’t learn anywhere else in school.” Last year MOC had only about 15 people in it. This year, however, the class has 43 students and Boylan expects the the class to keep growing. The skills learned in MOC are getting more and more important for high school students planning to enter the work force after they graduate and as they explore possible careers.