NeoCity Academy High School students are ready for high tech jobs now

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — It’s the top ranked high school in Central Florida, and it’s ranked second in Florida. The NeoCity Academy in Kissimmee offers a cutting-edge science and technology curriculum for students.

It’s also making sure they are ready right away to meet the quickly changing needs of Orlando’s tech companies.

That includes Skywater Technology, which produces semiconductor chips for the aerospace, defense and automotive industries. The company has a cleanroom at Kissimmee’s NeoCity tech hub.

Jaylon Prophet is a senior at NeoCity Academy, located right across the street from Skywater. This mechanical engineering student interns there five days a week after school, doing hands-on work.

“They don’t really focus on the knowledge-based things, but actual application. They are teaching us things about the manufacturing process, getting gowned up and sort of being in the fab,” Prophet said.

Prophet is one of almost 90 students from the academy working at 14 companies in Central Florida. They are young workers offering high tech skills.

Jeremiah Swartz is the man behind this movement. The school’s experiential learning coordinator believes many traditional education models lag behind what companies need now.

“If I can reduce that lag time, that’s what I want to do,” Swartz said.

Swartz spends every day creating opportunities for students to earn certifications and to learn the most current tech and soft skills.

“We can be great at our academics, but what are we doing for our students to be workforce ready within their careers? That’s what matters,” Swartz said.

Senior Josera Barran is focusing on computer science and interns with Skywater Technology as well.

“They’re seeing that we have all of the technical skills,” Barran said. “They’re seeing that we have all the soft skills, and they know that the workers that are pushed out of that school are going to be great for their companies.”

Skywater Technology is right across the street from NeoCity Academy. (Spectrum News/Keith Landry)

Gustavo Gil is Skywater’s director of business operations. His team is comfortable using the school’s students for day-to-day work in the production facility and not just to do paper work.

“NeoCity Academy in particular has such a strong program that we know we are getting students that are already college level,” Gil said.

Prophet knows having tech industry experience in high school will make him more competitive when he enters the work force.

“It’s definitely really important to have the skills on hand, because the industry really progresses really fast,” Prophet said.

Swartz added that the academy is incorporating more artificial intelligence classes into its curriculum so students can remain on the cutting edge.