BALTIMORE–Career and technical education has reemergered in recent years as an alternative for students not interested in a typical, four-year college education.
Panelists discussed what’s happening in the space during the “21st-Century Skills Training: The Value of Career and Technical Education” panel at the U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference.
In Baltimore, more students are participating in career and technical education, and those students are graduating high school at a higher rate than their peers, said Michael D. Thomas, interim chief of staff for Baltimore City Schools, whose work involves college and career readiness. Thomas moderated the panel.
“It shows the relevancy of this STEM work that we are all engaged in, but more importantly, we are really, truly, preparing our students, as we say we are, for the 21st century,” he said.
Panelists included Vince Bertram, president and chief executive officer of Project Lead Way; Timothy W. Lawrence, executive director of SkillsUSA; and, Thomas J. Snyder, president of Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis.
Building a skilled workforce is one of the most important issues facing the country, said Bertram, of Project Lead The Way, a nonprofit organization that provides project-based STEM programs for K-12 students and teachers.
“It’s our responsibility to make ensure our students have transportable, relevant skills that will give them the opportunity to work across sectors and to evolve as companies and our economy involves,” he said. “That’s really where we focus our work.”
One of the organizations’ goals is to offer students engaging, inspiring and empowering learning experiences.
Bertram thinks students should learn about a broad range of career opportunities, beginning at a young age.
“I think one of the most irrational pieces of advice we give them is just follow your dreams and everything will work out,” he said. “We say that to students, but in reality that’s not true.”
“Career and technical education is where STEM goes to work,” said Lawrence of SkillsUSA, a professional organization for students enrolled in career and technical education. The group’s programs include competitions for students to showoff their career and leadership skills.
Making STEM subjects relevant to students was a prominent topic throughout the session, and career and technical education can be a solution.
But career and technical education can’t be done without the help of community colleges, said Thomas, of the Baltimore school district.
Snyder, of the Indianapolis community college, talked about the pleathora of middle skills job vacancies in the U.S., which typically require some STEM skills.
A high school diploma, however, is not enough to get to the middle class, he said. A certificate or an associate degree is what one needs and that’s something many teens could complete while in high school. Snyder thinks more dual-enrollment courses need to be available.
Lawrence said career and technical education gives students options, since it prepares them for college and careers.
And career and technical education has evolved, said Thomas. No longer is it a home economics or wood shop course. Students in career and technical education are earning certificates in culinary arts and carpentry, for example, which gives them the credentials they need to start a viable career.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
The post Career and Technical Education Offers a Promising Alternative for Students – U.S. News & World Report appeared first on News Now Forever.
from
http://www.newsnowforever.com/career-and-technical-education-offers-a-promising-alternative-for-students-u-s-news-world-report.html
No comments:
Post a Comment