CONTACT: JIM MORRIS |
Vol. 43, No. 7
February 2, 2009
February is “CTE” Month
In Struggling Economy, High-demand Skills, Entrepreneurship and “Transitions” Are Priorities for Missouri Career & Technical Education Programs
Career and Technical Education is being celebrated across the state and nation during February.
Sponsored by the Association for Career and Technical Education, the month-long observance kicks off today (Feb. 2) with Job Shadow 2009 and concludes with the third annual National Entrepreneurship Week, Feb. 21-28.
Gov. Jay Nixon will formally proclaim Career and Technical Education Month on Feb. 11 in ceremonies at the capitol. Many schools will be conducting local observances throughout the month.
Career and technical education prepares youth and adults for a wide range of careers. Today’s CTE has evolved from a limited number of vocational programs into a broad system that encompasses the skills and occupational areas that are likely to be in greatest demand in the future (health sciences, telecommunications, information technology, etc.) despite the challenges of the global economy, say state education officials.
Nearly one-third of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. will require an associate degree or postsecondary vocational certificate, according to a 2006 U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Statistics report.
“A well-trained workforce is essential to economic development, and good schools are an essential component of our overall economic development strategy,” said Tom Quinn, assistant commissioner of Career Education at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
“We all benefit from the educational programs that are preparing students with the academic and workplace skills needed for high-skill, high-demand occupations,” he said, noting that most occupations now require education beyond high school – technical training, associate degrees, and apprenticeship programs, for example.
Entrepreneurship skills also are important to today’s economy.
“Entrepreneurship training programs are linking up with CTE programs in every state to train adults, as well as prepare youth for the future,” said Leslie Kerns, DESE’s director of marketing and business education programs. She serves as the agency’s team leader for building the entrepreneurial spirit statewide in Missouri.
During the 2007-08 school year, more than 300,000 Missouri high school students and adults took part in career education programs in 443 public high schools, 53 area career centers, a state technical college, 12 community colleges, and 7 four-year colleges and universities.
Under a recent federal mandate, states are required to integrate “programs of study” into their CTE programs. Programs of study are intended to assure seamless transitions for students as they move from high school to various postsecondary education settings.
Working with schools, business leaders and postsecondary institutions across the state, DESE has developed a process for schools and colleges to remove barriers to students by coordinating classroom instruction, student guidance, student organizations, career development and community participation for a number of career clusters and pathways. This effort is engaging business and community leaders as well as educators.