CTE Trends
Introduction
A successful CTE Program has a lot of moving parts. The CTE programs offered depend on the needs
in the workforce and the demand of student enrollment and parent
acceptance. While programs also depend
on budget funding and approval from the state and local school boards. Success for the student in the program
depends on the culture of the CTE program, the teachers, and the availability
of work-based learning opportunities in the community. With continued marketing of CTE and its
benefits, communities will soon understand how CTE makes learning
relevant. As Executive Director of the
American Youth Policy, Betsy Brand, stated, “Career and technical education
continues to surface as a tested strategy to engage students in their learning
and prepare them for postsecondary education and the complex world of the 21st
Century” (N. Ed., 2009, p. 6). There are negative and positive trends that
affect CTE programming.
Positive and Negative Trends that Affect CTE Programming
Positive
trends include college and career readiness culture that includes partnerships;
honors and dual-enrollment courses; along with an emphasis on work-based
learning. Negative trends include
academic guidance departments who still see CTE as vocational and for
non-college bound students; stagnant budgeting is always a negative trend
trying to keep up with technology and workplace trends when academic programs
do not require as much funding; and lack of rigor in CTE classrooms. span style="color: #2d3237; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
A
college and career readiness culture in a CTE program must include strong
leadership and partnerships with district school boards, community leaders,
business leaders, guidance, teachers, parents, and students. “CTE has to be
industry- or business-driven,” says Donna Deeds, founder of Blue Valley Caps
and Northland Prep High School in Kansas City, Mo. (Abamu, 2017). Along with a culture of college and career
readiness, CTE programs are seeing a trend in an increase in honors courses and
dual credit courses that students in CTE programs can enroll in to allow them
to participate in earning college hours and increase their GPA.
Another positive trend includes the inclusion of students into
nontraditional programs. For example,
girls enrolling in welding and fire while boys are enrolling in health science
and culinary. Lastly, work-based learning is now trending back as a positive
addition to the CTE programs. Students
gain valuable experience from internships, apprenticeships, and field
experiences. These experiences allow the
student to connect knowledge and skills to the workplace for an ultimate
project based learning.
Ways to Implement the Positive Trends and to Avoid the Negative Trends
Negative
trends can sometimes be avoided if you understand those trends. One of the negative trends of academic
guidance departments is to have an open relationship with all guidance
departments affecting your CTE program.
Review standards, certifications, and correlations with academic courses
with all guidance counselors. Since budgeting
is mostly out of our control, establish relationships with local businesses to
help fill the gap for supplies and equipment.
As much as we don’t like to admit it, there are CTE classrooms that do
not have rigor. “If students get into
programs that are not challenging and don’t lead to postsecondary
opportunities, that is a risk. That is the difference between a high-quality
career and technical education and average programs,” says James R. Stone,
director of the Research
Center for Career & Technical Education in
Washington, D.C.” (Abamu, 2017). With those classrooms, teacher accountability
is the key. Rigor should always benefit
the student.
Ideal Predictions for CTE in my School, Based Upon These Trends
My CTE program will once again be an
independent school. We will be
independent but will still need positive relationships with all of the guidance
departments in our district high schools.
Our marketing plan will include guidance representations to allow us to
hear all input ideas for our programs. “Beyond
the implications to students' career futures, this identified deficit affects
the profession of school counseling itself, because "school counselors
risk becoming irrelevant when they fail to bridge the gap between present
student outcomes and future employment needs" (Schenck & et al, 2012,
P. 2). Building relationships with local
business and community civic groups takes time.
We have begun this progress to allow us an easier transition to an independent
CTE center. We have also started the
process of analyzing each program for rigor and college ready along with being
career ready. The certifications are
increasing. The CTSOs are being
implemented and students are gearing toward competitions. Students are in internships and
apprenticeships this year. Our
predictions are positives.
Vision of my School's CTE Program in the Near Future
My vision for my
district’s CTE program is one that strives to educate, engage, and empower
students to investigate and connect academic interests and career options while
engaging in a life-long journey of self-exploration, inspiration and
personal/professional growth. I also envision all faculty and staff being
committed to providing a learning environment with authentic assessments of
real-world scenarios, skills, and college ready courses.
Conclusion
I see CTE programs being
recognized as programs that prepare students for Career AND College. Students should not have to choose. “The terms ‘education’
and ‘training’ also require elaboration. Essentially, the goal of education is
‘to create independent problem solvers [with] sufficient depth of
understanding’. In contrast, the goal of training ‘is to teach people to follow
prescribed procedures and to perform in a standardized manner” (McLean &
Lai, 2011, p. 4).
Works Cited:
Abamu,
J. (2017, August 01). Not All Career and Technical Education Programs Are
Created Equal. Retrieved February 12, 2018, from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-08-01-not-all-career-and-technical-education-programs-are-created-equal
MACLEAN,
R., & LAI, A. (2011). The future of technical and vocational education and
training: Global challenges and possibilities. International Journal Of
Training Research, 9(1/2), 2-15.
N.
(Ed.). (2009, October 1). NC’s Career and Technical Education Strategic Plan.
Retrieved February 5, 2018, from http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/docs/cte/strategic-plan.pdf
Schenck,
P. M., Anctil, T. M., Smith, C. K., & Dahir, C. (2012). Coming Full Circle:
Reoccurring Career Development Trends in Schools. Career Development
Quarterly, 60(3), 221-230.