On July 13, the President’s Council of Economic Advisors released a report, Preparing the Workers of Today for the Jobs of Tomorrow.   Put simply, this report is something that anyone who cares about CTE should read. The essence of the report can be summed up in one sentence ” (h)igh-quality education and training is the best way to prepare the workers of today for the jobs of tomorrow.” 

A few key points worth noting:

• “The secondary school goals and curriculum must be aligned with the goals and curricula of post-high school institutions.  … In addition, programs such as “Tech-Prep” and “2+2” that either allow students to acquire college credit while still in high school or to start a four-year (often technical) program during the last two years of high school and then continue through two years of community college can help to bridge the gap between secondary school and post-secondary education and training.”

 

• “Many individuals go through multiple spells of attendance at various post-secondary institutions and the resulting credits frequently do not add up to a meaningful credential or degree.   One approach to helping students put together courses that generate marketable skills even if the student is not continually enrolled is “career pathway” (or “career cluster”) programs.  These programs typically involve a careful map of required courses and training, designed to be internally coherent and linked to the demands of specific jobs.  Career pathways can begin as early as middle school and can include accelerated programs that blend basic skills and occupational training. “

 

• “Well-trained and highly-skilled workers will be best positioned to secure high-wage jobs, thereby fueling American prosperity.  Occupations requiring higher educational attainment are projected to grow much faster than those with lower education requirements, with the fastest growth among occupations that require an associate’s degree or a post-secondary vocational award. “

Tags: Career Clusters®, president

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 19th, 2009 at 10:00 pm and is filed under Career Clusters®, Public Policy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.