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
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These are all industries that can offer career training in public K-12 schools. CTE can either aid high school graduates in getting jobs in better fields or ensure that graduates start in higher positions within those fields. Most students with only a high school diploma join the work world in an unskilled profession, and only about 15% have a managerial or professional position (Carnevale, Smith, & Strohl, 2011). CTE can increase the number of high school graduates who are able to fulfill midlevel or manager level positions, jobs that provide a living wage and more job satisfaction. In his most recent State of the Union address, President Barack Obama called for job training that does not just help a young person get a job, but put them on a path so that they have a career for life (Obama, 2014). CTE also provides employers with a workforce that is either trained when they leave high school with the specific skills necessary for their jobs, or has been inspired to attain post-secondary education in their fields. In 1996, when the Perkins Act was renewed, only 20% of jobs needed a bachelor’s degree or higher, but many of them still required some amount of post-secondary education or training (“Carl D. Perkins…,” 2012). In the near future, however, Carnevale et al. (2011) have predicted that 86% of youth will need to attend some post-secondary education by 2025 to be marketable in the workforce. However, most high school graduates are
This report will provide the history of career technical education in the United States and relevance of legislative actions, laws, acts and policies beginning as early as the 18th century and continuing through current-day society. Chronologically documented, the primary focus is on the Carl D. Perkins Career Technical Education 2006, its origin, issues and effects of each amendment that led to important federal government legislations. For an understanding of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 2006 Act, an introduction section will provide information on amended acts, laws, and policies that led to the present act and career technical education. Other sections will discuss time periods of local and national legislation changes in the Carl D. Perkins Act, how they affect the present and future of career and technical education. A brief conclusion of the entire research to include summary findings and references.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) or “vocational education” provides preparation and skill building for careers. Some high school students will enter the workforce without additional training, but many will receive secondary CTE professional certifications. The goal of CTE is to connect students with growing industries in the American economy and give them the skills and training required for long-term success. However, little is known about CTE. Therefore, students lack access to high-quality secondary CTE.
More often than not, young students are taught to believe that they must go to a prestigious university to obtain a Bachelor’s degree or higher in order to have a fulfilling and satisfying career. This may hold true for some people, but others do not need to follow this same path. For students who choose a career that isn’t considered conventional or isn’t high in pay, they tend to be looked down upon which pressures them into choosing career paths that they do not have a passion for, or the skill set to actually accomplish which makes college a waste of time and money. While everyone should be encouraged to get an education beyond high school, people should be encouraged to get the education that is relevant and proper for them to make sure they are getting their money’s worth.
“By 2020, 65 percent of the jobs in the United States will require at least one post-secondary education Community colleges serve close to half of all American students, enrolling 10 million students each year, but just under 20 percent earn an associate’s degree within three years.”(Georgetown recovery: job growth and education requirements through 2020) In contrast to the 20th century, a high school diploma was sufficed enough to fulfill
In most high schools they've gotten back good reports using career and technical education. Business industry see it as a focus on preparing students for work. Educators say CTE is an alternative path for high school graduates who don't plan to go to college. Every year it’s a struggle to keep these kids interested in school work because it’s so much bad influence going on around them. So that’s why CTE decided to embarrass these students into a different type of learning skills.
This potential shortage of qualified workers has come to a level of conscious awareness and states such as Texas could benefit from the skill sets found within this diverse group of people (Hrabowski, 2012). Another problem centers on the need to fill the void that will be left by the large number of baby boomers who are close to retirement age (Malcolm, 2010). This phenomenon is not new, studies have established a correlation between earning a college degree and different socio-economic levels (Swaii, Redd, & Perna, 2003). Another study looked at the advantages of earning a post- secondary degree such as more pay, higher level of job satisfaction, movement between classes, access to better health insurance, and contributions as a tax payer (Baum, Ma, Payea, 2013). The Texas Higher Education plan “Closing the Gaps” has indicated the need for an educated workforce to contribute to the state’s prosperity and noted that an education takes an
From 3D printers and computers to laser engravers and tensile testers, our engineering program has had opportunities to teach its students in a professional engineering environment, making them one step ahead of everyone else in their pursue of a career. The importance of CTE can be seen in the academic and professional success of the students as well as the career success of the graduates. Funding and support, like that which comes from the Perkins Act, is key to the success and achievement of the students, in addition to ensuring that America will have a strong and educated future
Colleges are struggling to adapt to society’s changing requirements for adults entering the work force. John Fawell laments this change and states that humans intrinsically desire to learn more for the purpose of knowing more. However, the focus has shifted away from this and has become more career-oriented. This shift is not well supported in the current college system. The education system is aware of this change and some have modified their programs, but they are too narrow and a broad college education is lost. Even though it has become almost mandatory in society, a college degree does not prepare students for a real-world work environment and is not necessary for most occupations. Many, such as lawyers or doctors, do require further education and a system that instructs them while also training the majority of the workforce would be an improvement.
Many people are confused on why to invest time and money of attending college. A reason for obtaining a higher education is that a college degree can possibly earn a much higher salary than the majority of the people who have a high school diploma. College can be expensive and time consuming for the most of the people that do not have enough money and spare time to go to college. Stephen Rose, a research professor at the Georgetown University, wrote an article on “The Value of a College Degree” to explain if a college degree can be valuable to people to have. Eleni Karageorge, an author on the United States Department of Labor, wrote an article “Is A College Degree Still Worth It?” to give some details on job occupations that compares with employees having a bachelor’s degree or a high school diploma on how much they annually make on their job. Finally, Paul E. Barton, a consultant and a writer for topics related on education, wrote an article “How Many College Graduates Does the U.S. Labor Force Really Need?” on giving details on how valuable to have a college degree in the near future are needed when certain occupations are on high demand with a requirement on having a least a bachelor’s degree. We need to know why going to college is so important for anyone who wants to have professional occupations.
All careers from construction workers, to teachers, to attorneys are all important in today’s society, and it is important to let the adolescence to choose the path they take in their life. Sending fewer young people to college will not solve the country’s national debt problem. Companies will still send their work across seas in order for them to pay less and make more, even if the United States has enough labor workers in the country. Sending young people to college, or even a trade school, is better because they are gaining knowledge that they would have never had without attending a higher institution of learning.
Career and technical schools are educational facilities that allow students to explore a specific career or field that they are interested in. They offer approximately sixteen different career and technical choices and over 70 different sub-careers ranging from Education and Training, Government and Public Administration, Manufacturing, Information Technology, Finance, Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to Transportation, Distribution and Logistics plus other career fields of interest that appeal to the students. The Career and Technical Education Schools are able to fulfill the needs of employers who are looking for specific criteria when hiring a new employee to fill an available position within their company. () Since the students
“People that have college degrees have jobs opening today have been giving to people who know some kind of secondary school. ”(“Is College Worth It?” The Economist) Workers with a high school diploma must attain “post secondary credential if they were to compete efficiently in growing high-skill career”(“Is College Worth It?” The Economist) fields.
He mentioned that most of the entry-level jobs require at least high school credentials. Especially due to today’s current economic conditions, many individuals are forced to take employment that, at one time, was given to people without a high school diploma. In addition, Tyler & Lofstrom (2009) expressed that recent graduates have lower unemployment rates and higher employment rates.
I believe vision promotes and excels college alumni into accelerating career pathways that promote autonomy, innovation, and leadership expressed independently and as a team. Fostering the next generation builds the framework for the assumptions relied upon to support the community needs for career ready hires. In addition, vision aligns personal beliefs and career goals as a career services, director. I would articulate, steward, and promote this vision to foster alignment with stakeholders – students, parents, and community leaders. In turn, encouraging career goals through exploration through desires, needs, individual values, behavior and actions. Simply the opportunity to lead in providing students with tools to make strategic and informed decisions about the career paths.
Career and technical education, CTE, prepare individuals with the skills needed to efficiently grow into various high demand careers. Career and technical pathways create a system where students of all ages can become better prepared for the workforce. Career and technical education is applicable to college students and adults, but is most commonly embroidered into high school students learning style. The CTE path involves the grind between academics, technical skills, and work specific attributes in which each adds onto another to develop a more prepared individual. Provided that career and technical education has been around for a while, it has proven itself to be an exceptional method for students to embed into their studies.