Vol. 42, No. 6
February 1 , 2008
CONTACT: JIM MORRIS |
February is “CTE” Month
Career & Technical Education is Growing and Preparing Students for the Future
If you could look into a crystal ball and advise your teenager about ways to prepare for her future education and career, would you know what to look for? The world is changing at a dramatic pace, and every decision students make today may have lasting consequences for their future.
Regardless of what is in store for them after high school – a community college, a university, the military or a job – today’s students are developing the skills and habits that will get them started on their career paths.
More than 60 percent of Missouri high school students are gaining the knowledge, skills and work habits they need by taking part in career and technical education programs in fields such as agriculture, business, health sciences, family and consumer sciences, marketing and industrial education.
As designated by Congress, February is Career and Technical Education Month in Missouri. Gov. Matt Blunt will formally proclaim Missouri’s observance on Feb. 13. It is a time for students, parents, educators and employers to acknowledge the impact of career education programs on students and Missouri’s workforce.
February also is the time when students in middle schools and high schools begin to meet with their counselors and parents to explore their interests and develop a personal plan of study for high school.
Career education is growing in Missouri. Last year, more than 288,000 high school students and adults took advantage of career and technical education programs throughout the state in 443 public high schools, 53 area career centers, a state technical college, 12 community college districts, 7 four-year institutions and two state agencies.
The national observance of CTE Month begins today (Feb. 1) with National Job Shadow Day and concludes with the statewide “LifeSmarts” competition for middle schools and high schools and Entrepreneurship Week USA at the end of the month.
Public service announcements produced by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will encourage students and their parents to talk about the vast array of career options for young people and how they can plan for their success in the years ahead.
“Career education programs are an important part of the comprehensive curriculum available to high school students. Students in career and technical programs have higher grades in college, are less likely to drop out of high school or college, and have higher earnings. We ought to celebrate those positive outcomes,” said Tom Quinn, interim assistant commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 18 of the 20 fastest-growing occupations within the next decade will require career and technical education. Missouri’s economy will need to fill more than 972,000 job openings by 2014 due to economic growth and retirements. While nearly 20 percent of the jobs will require at least a bachelor’s degree, more than 80 percent will require at least some education or training after high school – an associate degree, technical school or on-the-job training.
The growing demand for postsecondary education is clear in Missouri. During the last school year (2006-07), Missouri postsecondary institutions conferred 9,015 associate degrees and 2,046 program-specific certificates – increases of 7% and 15%, respectively, over the previous year.
At the state level, officials from several agencies are working together more closely than in the past to identify labor-market needs and trends and to align the state’s educational resources with the demands of business and industry.
These efforts draw on the resources of the Department of Economic Development; the state’s P-20 council which was recently created by Gov. Blunt; the governor’s METS Alliance, which promotes the growth of math- and science-related occupations; Missouri business leaders; and the departments of Higher Education and Elementary and Secondary Education.