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U.S. Department of Education
It’s Time to Rethink Career and Technical
Education
A recent state reported data set on CTE participation shows only 8
million of America’s 15 million high school students participate in a
CTE course in a given year. Additionally, only 1 in 5 high school
students chose to concentrate in a CTE program of study. At the same
time, the numbers of transfer students at community colleges are
outpacing those enrolled in CTE certificate or associates degree
pathways. This results in an America where employers face a profound
skills gap and students carry $1.5 trillion in financial aid debt. Too
few students are taking advantage of CTE educational opportunities that
lead to great jobs and careers. It is time for Career and Technical
Education in the U.S. to be the nimble, demand-driven talent
development system that it is meant to be.
Secretary DeVos stands at a podium on stage and speaks to a room full
of attendees sitting at round tables.To address these issues, in July,
President Trump signed Perkins V into law. The law requires robust
stakeholder engagement to encourage local and state-driven innovation
and advancement. Due to its engaged nature, the Office of Career,
Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) has released the draft State
Plan Guide for public comment and will be issuing the final guide in
early 2019. Additionally, OCTAE has gathered teams from 47 states, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and American
Somoa – each eager to launch their state plan development process and
excited about the opportunities the act provides to establish a new
vision for CTE.
To continue stakeholder involvement, on Friday, December 14, OCTAE
hosted the Rethink CTE Summit. The summit brought together 150 business
and industry representatives, associations and educators that
demonstrated commitment to preparing America’s future workforce. Five
intentionally crafted sessions equipped participants to mobilize their
networks to engage with states and local education agencies on the
development of their state plans.
Additionally, participants left prepared to ask the tough questions:
Why aren’t work-based learning and “earn and learn” programs (like
apprenticeships) the rule and not the exception?
Why can’t employers play a larger role in preparing students for their
futures?
Why is CTE for some and not all students?
Why do barriers exist between the levels and types of education?
A woman discusses a topic with other attendees seated at her
table.Success for the summit did not rest in answering each of these
questions or simply talking about the new law. Rather the summit sought
to assist participants in identifying questions that need to be asked
at their state and local levels. If the right questions are asked in
states across the country, stakeholders will be empowered to find bold
solutions in providing students with multiple pathways and better
preparation for what comes next!
For more information about how you can get involved in the state
planning process, please visit the Perkins Collaborative Resource
Network, navigate the resources on the Summit website, or reach out to
Richard Pettey at Richard.Pettey@ed.gov.
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