Problem Statement How should the United States government revitalize career and technical education (CTE) to meet 21st century needs, including collaboration and partnership between K-12 public education and the workforce? Background The need for a national career education program is driven by a few principles. Firstly, CTE can help to keep students in school. In 2011, seven percent of American students dropped out of high school (“Dropout rates”, n.d.). CTE programs help to keep students in school because they connect what students are learning to the outside world, giving students a purpose and motivation for finishing school. They also tend to focus more on hands on learning, which can appeal to a different style of learner than traditional schooling. Secondly, CTE can improve the job outlook for students who graduate with a high school diploma. Approximately 3/4 of the workforce begins with less than a 4-year degree. Many of them do not have the skill set necessary to fulfill the jobs available (“School-to-Work”, 1994). Public schools and community colleges need to help these students develop skills for the workplace and/or motivate them to continue their education. The unemployment rate for high school graduates is at 4.3%. However, for those with an associate’s degree, unemployment is 3% (Liming & Wolf, 2008). CTE programs in school can help high school graduates have employment rates closer to those of students with associate’s degrees because they have more training in their vocation. Students with a high school diploma typically work in fields such as transportation, food service, production, construction, installation, and maintenance, and specifically in positions such as carpenters, brick masons, electric... ... middle of paper ... ...v/fastfacts/display.asp?id=16 Hughes, K. L., Bailey, T. R., & Mechur, M. J. (2001). School-to-work: Making a difference in education. Retrieved from Teachers College, Columbia University website: http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED449364 Liming, D., & Wolf, M. (2008, Fall). Job outlook by education, 2006-2016. Occupational Outlook Quarterly, 2-29. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2008/fall/art01.pdf NAPE 2013 Perkins Act reauthorization position paper. (2013). Retrieved from National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity website: http://www.napequity.org/public-policy/current-laws-and-bills/carl-perkins-career-technical-education-act/ Obama, B. H. (Presenter). (2014, January 28). State of the union address. Speech presented at The Capitol, Washington, DC. School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, 103-239 U.S.C. (1994). Retrieved from http://www.fessler.com/SBE/act.htm
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a veterinarian, but as I grew up and experienced new things, that changed. I was lucky that I discovered this before I went to college, but others aren’t so lucky. Many people spend thousands of dollars on a college degree only to discover later on that they want to change careers. Rather than spend a small fortune and years of time getting a new degree, people can go to a vocational or technical school. These schools are exactly what the people in this country need to get the jobs they deserve. Some of the best schools in this country are technical schools, and we need to stop telling our kids that a traditional college is the only way to a successful career. Although
Career and technical education courses are intended to prepare high school students to enter the work force in a skilled trade. It equips the students with the experience and education necessary to succeed in an average skill level job while maintaining the student’s interest. In an article that focuses on an aviation CTE program, a “senior policy analyst at the Morrison Institute, said that Career and Technical Education provides another opportunity for students who struggle in high school.” The assumption is that students who struggle in high school presumably do not want another four years of education to attain a bachelor’s degree. Until recently, schools have been excessively geared towards college readiness. The dogma was elementary school, high school, college, without exception. With this “one size fits all” education system in place, a different education course had to evolve. CTE courses offer a break from the tedious grind by introducing career readiness as an alternative. In place of the four years in a college, CTE programs gives student...
High Schools That Work (HSTW), a school improvement initiative of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), has documented achievement gains by career and technical education (CTE) students at participating sites (Bottoms and Presson 2000). At HSTW sites participating in 1996 and 1998 assessments (Frome 2001), CTE students showed math and science achievement equal to the national average of all high school students—and exceeded the national average of CTE students in math, science, and reading.
“The Benefits Of Attending Community College: A Review Of The Evidence.” Community College Review 39.1 (2011): 46. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File. Web. 30 Sept. 2016. This article’s primary focus is on the benefit of attending a community college for two years. The information presented in this article supports that a college degree affects much more than we might think. People with only a high school degree have changes in health, criminal activity, well-being, and welfare reliance. These benefits are just as important as economic earning gains. These findings make the concept of college even more appealing to one’s
In the United States, the history of Career and Technical Education evolved within four major periods. First, the Awakening period which began in 1776-1826, when the right to a free public education was expressed. During this era, educational opportunities in labor and industrial education were being demanded. The rising working class began to press for an education that were more appropriate for their labor and industry’s needs (Awakening 1776-1826, 1976). Even Benjamin Franklin who represented the Awakening middle class was on board with the rise of technical and vocational education which were taught primarily by private masters or contracted apprenticeships (Cohen, 1976).
"Inaugural Address by President Barack Obama." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. .
Obama, Barack. "President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address." The White House. Office of the Press Secretary, 21 Jan. 2009. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
If more people went to college, and less went the vocational route, jobs will take a momentous hit. Today, companies will not even touch an application that does not include a Bachelor’s Degree; even if the Bachelor’s Degree has nothing to do with the job being applied for. Attention is not given to whether the hopeful applicant qualifies for the job; all that matters is that the applicant has a Bachelor’s degree. Murray best sums up the American job market when he says, “Employers do not value what the student learned, just that the student has a degree” (Murray). However, if less people obtain a Bachelor’s Degree, employers will be forced to base applicants on their skills, and abilities. Furthermore, important vocational jobs that lie vacant will be filled. Good electricians, carpenters, and construction workers will always be in
President Barack Obama goal when giving this speech is to inform the Congress on the State of the Union. The primary message being delivered is to focus on the future and the four questions that he believed the country should answer regardless of the future presidents. The person delivering the speech is the 44th president Obama because according to the Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution the president must give the congress information on the State of the Union. Obama is the right person to be delivering the speech because he is the president and he knows what it is exactly that needs to be conveyed to the congress.
Encouragement is a common word throughout this paper. The best thing that can be done about the problem of dwindling enrollment in technical college is to encourage people considering this schooling. Encourage people to look into this type of education, because we do need more Blue Collar workers in our future. Encourage current or past students to talk about their experiences in tech schools with people who are confused about what they want to do in their life. Encourage them that this option is NOT for under achievers, but for over achievers.
In July 1994, Congress passed the School to Work Opportunities Act (STWOA), allocating funds to establish statewide partnerships designed to prepare students with knowledge and skills required for employment in the workplace. Recent reports show that STW has varied considerably across these partnerships, resulting in differing views on the viability of its programs. Now that federal funding from STWOA has ended, what is the aftermath? What are the chances for sustaining STW now that funding has ceased? To what extent have STW efforts been institutionalized and supported by local business? How do the perceptions and commitment of teachers, educators, students and parents influence the self-sustaining future of school to work (STW)? This Myths and Realities looks at the issues as they apply to life after STWOA.
Dana Goldstein a journalist from The Nation says that, “47 million American jobs are expected to be created between now and 2018, and about two-thirds will require some sort of education beyond high school.” In making this comment, Goldstein is showing us that the only way to be prosperous in the future is to educate our children. Goldstein goes on to say that, “27 percent of workers with occupational licenses earn more than the average recipient of a bachelor’s degree.” In other words, Goldstein is trying to tell us that a bachelor 's degree isn 't the only way to go and that we need to increase funding for vocational schools and community
Brewer, E.W., Campbell, A.C., Petty, G.C. (2000). Foundations of Workforce Education. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
Students’ wouldn’t be able to hold down a job is the second reason they shouldn’t dropout of high school. Many employers would like to have someone who has been too high school and that have been educated so they can handle money and add things p...
Murray, Charles. “What’s Wrong With Vocational School?” Reading for Today. Ed. Gary Goshgarian. New York: Pearson Education Inc., 2008. 269. Print.