(QUEENS, NEW YORK) - Jessie Kalloo is a Networking Teacher at Thomas Edison CTE High School in Queens who knows how to connect with his students.

Not long ago, Kalloo attended school here himself, but thanks to the City’s innovative Success Via Apprenticeship (SVA) Program, he now teaches in the same classroom where he was once a student.

“Once you’re a student at Edison, this is your school, and becoming a Teacher, it’s still my school,” Kalloo said. “I’ve got a lot of pride in our program, a lot of pride in our students.”

The SVA Program was established in 1984 as a joint venture by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the New York City Department of Education and the City University of New York (CUNY) to address a looming Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher shortage.

The five-year program, which prepares prospective students to be CTE Teachers in their chosen fields, includes courses at CUNY’s New York City College of Technology, and rotating classroom/industry Apprenticeships.

SVA students obtain two years of classroom experience and three years of industry experience by the time they complete the program.

During their enrollment, students earn 90% of a starting teacher’s salary, as well as benefits.

“The SVA Program has turned out some of the best Educators that we have in the City,” said Leo Gordon, UFT Vice President for CTE.

Gordon, a former Graphic Design Professional and Teacher, is himself an SVA grad.

“It’s funny,” he said. “They say that I went from Apprentice to Architect. That’s what the SVAs are - they are Apprentices who become the Architects of that Trade.”

When it comes to building tomorrow’s workforce, SVA Teachers know the value of learning by doing.

“With CTE, we’re not only teaching students their subject matter, we’re creating the next leaders of our workforce,” Kalloo said.

As an IT Networking Professional, Kalloo is adept at setting up systems to exchange data and share resources, he brings many of those same principles into his classroom.

Kalloo’s IT students run the high school’s computer network, top to bottom.

“They’re the Network Technicians. They’re the Help Desk Support. They’re the Cyber-Security Analysts,” he said. “So, whatever they’re learning in the classroom, they're able to take it out into the field - which is their school - and implement it.”

To Read This Apprenticeship And Training Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: CTE Works: UFT’s Success Via Apprenticeship program transforms students into dedicated teachers

And For More, Watch: (1) NYSUT: Career and Technical Education - Featuring UFT - YouTube