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
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.
1. To cultivate and maintain the position of Northeastern University as a national and international leader in Career Services and Cooperative Education
The proposed Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act identifies key factors for college and career-ready students. The act asks that states adopt rigorous college and career ready standards in English/language arts and mathematics along with assessments aligned to these standards. In June of 2010, the NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released the Common Core State Standards which 45 out of 50 states have currently adopted. Additionally, states are required to develop a system of accountability that rewards successful schools, requires interventions for the lowest-perfor...
For far too long, people have regarded vocational schooling as a second class option to a traditional college. Some believe that only under achievers will attend this type of school...
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
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
The university-statehouse-industrial complex has grown such that the traditional models of primary and secondary education have survived two or three decades beyond their practical use. With a public school system that segregates and discriminates based on, “college material or not?” (Brolin & Loyd, 1989) and a university system that places only one in five graduates in work in their field of major (cite), our educational system has passed its prime and is still training and educating for 20th century job markets that no longer exist. The way that we educate and what we educate for and why needs rethinking from the top down and needs to be more practical and pragmatic. Career and technical education (CTE) consisting of specialized, targeted, and focused vocational programs at all levels do more than just prepare a student for a real job – these programs have practical education and socialization value that conventional classrooms centered around a teacher’s monologue for many do not. Nowhere is the added value of such targeted programs more useful and valuable than in special classes, courses, and CTE training aimed at students with disabilities.
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...
Reducing the dropout rate is the most common outcome of vocational education for at-risk populations
A real education is something that everyone should value, and all of us should strive to live up to our true potential. Contrary to popular belief, heading off to a four-year college to reach that true potential may not necessarily be the right choice for everyone. Vocational training is not only less expensive than college, but it is also a better use of time and provides students with skills critical for their job of interest. In six months, the class of 2014 will put on their caps and gowns and walk across the stage with their diplomas. All of those graduates will be excited to move onto the next chapter of life. But what path will they choose? Will they go with the flow, or will they take a walk down the unbeaten path?
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
Brewer, E.W., Campbell, A.C., Petty, G.C. (2000). Foundations of Workforce Education. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
I am not sure how many new board members are aware with CTE, but over the next few minutes, I want to explain why having a High School diploma is simply not enough. A high school diploma is not enough to be able to compete in today 's global economy. If you want to learn front-line skills, if you want to pr...
The career services program is as effective as the career professional and support staff design and implement it to be. Despite the challenges that Cynthia Matson faces in her position, she is consistently in the top ten percent of ITT Tech campuses for student job placement and has always made the goal of a minimum 80% job placement rate for new graduates. The key to success in this field is to build a relationship early with students and nurture their goals and desires while working closely with academics to assure students are ready for the workforce. "Companies need people who can come in and get up and running without a lot of investment in time." (Lee, 2001).
Education is a vital tool for lifelong success but there are many areas of concern in the current system of public education. Education reform has been a constant occurrence since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Every year, specialists develop