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Advance CTE Fall Meeting Sponsor Blog: Gold Sponsor, Home Builders Institute

September 29th, 2022

A severe lack of skilled workers and an aging workforce threaten to slow new home production, curb housing affordability, and derail the industry’s ability to stand strong amid rising recession risks to the overall economy. In fact, the construction industry needs to add 2.2 million workers over the next three years to keep up with housing demand, according to a recent report from the Home Builders Institute (HBI), a workforce development nonprofit that works closely with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Changing social and economic factors are driving a renewed focus on Career Technical Eeducation (CTE) among educators, policymakers, students and their families. Shifting the narrative about Career Clusters® supporting architecture & construction is an important way to capture the interest of young students and their parents. Schools can offer more technical training that exposes students to the potential of many exciting post-graduation architecture & construction career opportunities that don’t result in student debt.

With nearly 400 programs in 46 states, HBI’s industry-recognized curriculum is preparing the next generation of skilled workers through pre-apprenticeship training and certification programs in secondary schools, community colleges, military bases, Job Corps centers and training academies. These programs are providing students with no-cost training that leads to well-paying jobs and careers in the home building industry.

Half of construction workers earn more than $49,000 annually with the top 25 percent% making more than $75,000. This eclipses the U.S. median wage of $45,760 and the top quartile making just $68,590. In addition, the industry is one of the few where women and men earn nearly equal pay, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, versus all other occupations where women make just 81.5 percent% of what men earn.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) advocates for local, state and federal support of industry-sponsored programs — such as HBI’s —that are successful, cost-effective means of providing skills training and job placement to individuals who can comprise a robust pipeline of trade professionals. Producing more and better workers strengthens families, communities, and the U.S. economy.

Working with HBI, state CTE leaders can access industry-recognized curriculum and certifications that will provide middle and high school students throughout their state with more opportunities to pursue a stable and successful career path. State leaders can also leverage NAHB’s network of 700 local and state home builders associations. These local associations comprise building industry leaders from all facets of the construction industry eager to provide mentorship, networking, program support and job opportunities to eligible students.

There is no single answer to solving the labor gap issue, but working together, NAHB, HBI and State Directors can prepare students for meaningful careers in building that will result in increased housing availability and affordability for American families.

For more information on HBI’s curriculum, visit hbi.org. To learn more about NAHB’s workforce development efforts, visit nahb.org/workforce.

Ed Brady, President and CEO, HBI

Tags: business and industry partnerships, CTE Fall Meeting, industry-recognized credentials
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Advance CTE Fall Meeting Sponsor Blog: Diamond Sponsor, iCEV – Optimizing ESSER Funding for Career Technical Education

September 28th, 2022

As part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government provided a total of $280 billion for K–12 and postsecondary schools over three rounds of unprecedented investment into education. For perspective, $280 billion is 200 times the annual allocation for Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER I, II, III) portion of each of the three emergency response bills totaled $189 billion for a range of uses from education technology to building costs and staff salaries. While states and districts were given wide discretion on how to invest the money, there are time limits for the money to be spent.

Although Career Technical Education (CTE) was not specifically called out in these emergency bills, many districts are using ESSER funds to prioritize and expand their CTE programs. ESSER dollars are intended to make up for lost instructional time and accelerating learning to get students back on track for grade level work and learning college and career skills, and CTE has an integral role in this process.

Blending ESSER & CTE Funding

To ensure the efficiency and sustainability of their programs, CTE educators have to be forward thinking and creative to ensure CTE programs receive an appropriate amount of the funds when state and district leaders are deciding where the money is to be spent. According to EducationWeek, most of ESSER I and II funds were spent on equipment to minimize coronavirus spread and connecting students to school from home. A minimum of 20 percent of ESSER III funds must be spent on compensating for lost instructional time, but districts can spend more if they so choose. Just under half of districts have allocated their funds, but some districts are still deciding where to allocate funding.

Ideas for Using ESSER Funds

Starting or Expanding Summer Camps & After-School Clubs – These can help accelerate learning to make up for lost instruction time during the pandemic. Both of these ideas have the advantage of additional CTE recruitment potential as they operate outside standard school hours, and include areas such as eSports, robotics, and other STEM activities.

Investing in Digital Curriculum – Schools and districts have made significant investments in technology in response to the pandemic, digital learning allows CTE programs greater flexibility in course delivery and facilitates individualized instruction.

Updating Labs with High-Tech Training Systems – The pandemic exacerbated the skills gap, and with Industry 4.0 and the acceleration of technology, CTE programs can struggle to keep pace with manufacturing changes in such areas as automation. Investing in industry-grade equipment will allow CTE programs to upgrade the technical skills they teach to prepare students for today’s workforce.

Professional Development & Training for Teachers –Investing in PD and training meets both ESSER and CTE objectives. It is particularly important for CTE teachers to participate in ongoing professional learning as it relates to new equipment and increasing technical skills.

The federal stimulus funds create an unparalleled opportunity to make a significant investment in CTE programs throughout the country, either for expansion or creation. CTE programs provide students with the academic, technical skills and practical experience they need to be successful in their post-secondary lives. This one-time infusion of ESSER stimulus funds makes this the ideal time to ensure high quality CTE programs have a central place in K–12 education to provide students with career-specific learning opportunities leading to additional career possibilities and equip students with a robust set of skills that prepare them for their future.

Josh Witherspoon, Content Development Specialist, iCEV

Tags: Digital learning, ESSER, Fall Meeting, professional development, Stimulus Funding, summer youth
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Advance CTE Fall Meeting Sponsor Blog: Gold Sponsor, NOCTI – Navigating Uncertain Times

September 23rd, 2022

This post is written by NOCTI, a Gold Level sponsor of the 2022 Advance CTE Fall Meeting.

A “black swan” event is an unpredictable occurrence beyond what is normally expected of a situation, often with severe consequences. While the entire educational environment was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Career Technical Education (CTE), which focuses on hands-on learning, was heavily impacted by this black swan event. In addition to navigating the perils of COVID-19, CTE experienced instructor shortages and concerns about the limited related work experience of those available for these positions. Though many states have relevant, standardized, industry-identified competencies, the associated curriculum must be delivered by individuals with a solid understanding of the field, which is generally based on work experience. In some cases, these concerns can result in a reduction of content depth delivered in a CTE classroom.

How does the CTE community respond to these kinds of events? What can states, teacher preparation systems, schools, and administrators do to increase equity and access to CTE programs as well as maintain high-quality program content and delivery? To address these variables would take more space than this blog offers, but we can describe three tools offered by NOCTI and Nocti Business Solutions (NBS).

Let’s start with a focus on a teacher candidate’s technical skill competence. NBS offers assessments that are used in the hiring process. These assessments can be used to verify a candidate’s experience, determine a candidate’s fit to a position, and establish an employee’s professional development plan upon hire. Using these assessments longitudinally can provide additional information to those hiring CTE teachers.

The second tool is a credentialing assessment developed by NOCTI and several other associations, entitled “Principles of CTE Teaching”. The credential offers two levels and establishes an individual’s understanding of CTE pedagogy and covers student management techniques, facility management and safety, teaching, and both formative and summative assessment strategies.

The final tool developed by NOCTI, micro-credentials, gathers the collective knowledge of seasoned CTE instructors and subject matter experts. NOCTI utilized longitudinal data across a variety of industries to identify areas in which CTE learners were having difficulty. NOCTI then worked with instructors to design short video segments to address these specific areas. The resulting content segments are available 24/7 and can be viewed repeatedly in both synchronous and asynchronous settings. Micro-credentials can be used in a variety of situations and can be an effective tool to reinforce an instructor’s content knowledge.

Acting without deliberate planning can exacerbate problems and pondering an issue without action rarely helps anyone progress. NOCTI’s tools were designed to assist in the expansion of the CTE community and represent thoughtful actions to inspire state CTE leaders to address instructor pipeline challenges and empower new instructors to be successful in CTE. Please reach out to us to find out more at [email protected].

Dr. John C. Foster, President and CEO, NOCTI & NBS

Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, industry-recognized credentials, microcredentials, prior learning assessments, Sponsor
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Advance CTE 2021 Fall Meeting Staff Reflections

November 10th, 2021

On October 27 and 28, over 270 state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders gathered for Advance CTE’s 2021 Fall Meeting. Through timely plenary discussions, breakout and networking sessions, members and supporters were able to reflect on the transformations of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, gain knowledge on the latest research and promising practices in states, and create community by building networks with leaders in similar roles.

Advance CTE staff departed the meeting feeling energized and excited about the many ways our members are going above and beyond to advance the event theme, “Meeting CTE’s Moment”. This post shares top outcomes of Fall Meeting with reflections from Advance CTE staff.

1. Highlighting High-Quality, Equitable State Practices: Speakers from 22 states and 19 national organizations highlighted innovative state practices, and more importantly provided tangible lessons learned and first steps for leaders to implement the initiatives in their own state.

“The amazing work being shared by CTE leaders across the country was truly inspiring. The statewide mentorship program and New Teacher Institute in Missouri are best practices models for the nation to emulate. Allowing Local Education Agencies (LEA) to serve as an Educator Preparation Program (EPP) is an outstanding example of out-of-the-box thinking. Despite the crippling disparity in pay compared to the surrounding states, the program has yielded high retention rates by providing new teachers with the supports necessary to be effective practitioners. The jewel of the Fall Meeting, in my opinion, was South Carolina’s presentation on the combined efforts between the state’s CTE and Special Education departments to provide access to high-quality programs of study. The innovative process of evaluating the enrollment and performance of students with disabilities by specific disabilities is a model for developing equitable systems for all learners. I’m excited to see the strategies for improving academic success developed from the analysis and I hope the methodology becomes a national trend.” – Dr. Kevin Johnson, Sr., Senior Advisor

“One of my favorite parts of the Fall Meeting was the opportunity state leaders had to share challenges they were facing with top of mind topics and directly problem-solve with national CTE leaders. In a breakout session sharing the latest research on employer engagement, Director of Public Policy James Redstone from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) offered advice to states on how to structure programs and outreach to better meet employer needs. In a session on connecting Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and CTE, renowned national SEL leader Dr. Scott Solberg was able to share best practices and common challenges gained from a network of over 20 states led by Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Despite limits to capacity, our members are always so eager to keep innovating. Hearing lessons learned in states from a national perspective is so valuable in order to make the most of the resources and take the work on these topics and more to the next level.” – Stacy Whitehouse, Senior Associate, Communications and State Engagement

2. Elevating Learner Voice and Learner-Center Systems: Fall Meeting featured a dedicated series of breakout sessions focused on elevating high-quality examples of national tool and state initiatives that centered learners in policy and practice. Sessions on Advance CTE’s recently released learner voice toolkit and social capital featured CTE learners.

“The 2021 Fall Meeting intentionally focused on leveraging the learner voice within state CTE decisionmaking. I was thrilled to witness Advance CTE being joined by two esteemed learners over the two-day meeting: Autumn Steffens and Daraja Brown. Secondary learner Autumn shared her hopes for future learner engagement, “It makes me feel seen as a learner and will help with my decisionmaking in the future.” Postsecondary learner Daraja shared how she has leveraged her social capital to advance through career pathways, “It is important for me to find the different professionals, teacher and mentors that I connect with on a personal level…someone that is in my corner and cares about me and my professional development.” Ultimately, it is important that state and local CTE leaders with the ability to influence CTE policy and programming leverage stakeholders from all levels, including learners. By these actions, state and local CTE leaders are taking every opportunity to advance CTE, particularly under the new shared vision, to ensure each learner achieves career success.” – Brittany Cannady, Senior Associate, Digital Media

“Beyond reconnecting with so many familiar faces, I always love the opportunity to hear from national researchers and partners about exciting or important work in the field, especially those that highlight inequities or illustrate how to better leverage the work we all do to support all learners. Timely research from Strada Education Network and the Urban Institute really demonstrated for me the importance of reaching out to learners at the margins of education, whether they are learners disrupted by the pandemic or learners who don’t have access to high quality postsecondary CTE due to gaps in technology access. At the same time, our members bring these learners to the forefront and are working to design CTE programs that are high-quality and equitable. I always leave our meetings excited about the future of CTE!” – Dan Hinderliter, Policy Associate

3. Building Community: Fall Meeting not only provided an engaging chat feature where attendees routinely shared ideas and celebrated their peers, but also featured two role-alike sessions where leaders networked by professional role, identity and stakeholder level. For the first time, leaders of color also had a dedicated space to connect.

“Advance CTE members are no strangers to virtual meetings, and yet no one felt like strangers to each other. The sense of community and camaraderie was apparent via warm “good to see you” chats and among presenters who were meeting for the first time or reconvening for the hundredth time in a breakout session. We know that members have missed being in person together, but I find encouragement and meaning in the Fall Meeting as a culmination of building a virtual community over the past two years.” – Sara Gassman, Senior Associate, Member Engagement & Professional Learning

“The highlight for me was watching our members shout out each other and other members of their team for their incredible work to advance high-quality and equitable CTE! It was heartening and refreshing to see so many old and new colleagues and peers recognize their fierce commitment to CTE and innovative practices for a wide array of policies, such as establishing standing up new advisement systems, expanding equitable early postsecondary opportunities, building local capacity for identifying and closing opportunities gaps, and recruiting and retaining a more diverse CTE workforce, to name a few! Our members are doing amazing work and I love seeing that work recognized and celebrated by their peers across the country.” – Kate Kreamer, Deputy Executive Director

4. Advancing CTE Without Limits and Exploring the Future of CTE: Fall Meeting was grounded in the five principles that comprise Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education (CTE Without Limits), and each series of breakout sessions sought to challenge the limits of state leaders to transform systems so that each learner can achieve success in the career of their choice.

“Just seven months after CTE Without Limits was released, it was incredible to see how state CTE leaders are thinking about operationalizing the principles. I had the privilege of listening in on Lisa Stoner-Torbert’s session on Delaware’s PIPEline for career success program for learners with disabilities, which demonstrates how flexible career pathways, aligned funding and cross-sector partnerships can provide historically marginalized learners the means to succeed in their chosen career pathways.” – Austin Estes, Data & Research Manager

“Another standout moment was during the Ensuring Access to CTE for All Learners Through Equitable Recruitment and Admissions Requirements session. The speaker, Ms. Tiara Booker-Dwyer, Assistant State Superintendent, Maryland State Department of Education, so eloquently shared the importance of diversity in advancing our vision for CTE through a visual “band” analogy. She explained the need to have “all instruments” represented in order to produce great music and how the lottery system in their state was not allowing for “all instruments” to have a chance to be part of the band. Her example provided the why behind the work as she shared policy and practices their state edited to create more equitable access to programs. The co-presenters for the session from the state of Massachusetts’ Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Cliff Chuang, Senior Associate Commissioner and Elizabeth Bennett, Associate Commissioner of CCTE, also incorporated CTE Without Limits in their concrete examples of how they have revised state policy and law to create a path for all learners to be recruited and admitted in high-quality CTE programs in their state.

It was great to hear and learn from state leaders and funders who believe and are invested in the CTE Without Limits vision. State leaders were inspired to innovate, be bold and take action to execute the vision without limits in their respective states.” – Nithya Govindasamy, Senior Advisor

5. Connecting Federal Policy to State Action: Fall Meeting attendees had the opportunity to receive updates on the latest federal policies and supports from senior officials at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE).

“The highlight of the Fall Meeting for me was the opportunity to facilitate a discussion with DOL on the lasting effects of the pandemic on the labor force and the future of work. The discussion elevated the necessity for alignment across secondary, postsecondary and the workforce and the opportunity for CTE to bridge that alignment. It was clear that DOL is supportive of the work our members are conducting in all states. and that the administration wants to continue to fund initiatives that support the economic recovery of our nation and challenge our limits on innovative programming and learner engagement in high-quality career pathways.” – Jeran Culina, Senior Policy Associate

If you were not able to attend the Fall Meeting, don’t worry – Advance CTE’s Spring Meeting is not too far away. Advance CTE is carefully considering the safety and needs of members as we determine the best format and capacity for this event, and more information will be coming soon. In the meantime, visit Advance CTE’s Learning that Works Resource Center to access the reports, resources and tools shared during Fall Meeting.

Stacy Whitehouse, Senior Associate Communications and State Engagement

Tags: Advance CTE Members, CTE Without Limits, Delaware, Equity, Federal Policy, Maryland, Program Quality, South Carolina, Stakeholder engagement
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Making the Case for a Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core

October 26th, 2021

Submitted by CORD, 2021 Fall Meeting Sponsor

The nature of work is evolving right before our eyes. Technological advancements are transforming existing industries and creating new ones at an unprecedented pace. The World Economic Forum predicts significant disruption in the jobs landscape over the next four years. As many as 85 million current job roles may be displaced while more than 97 million new roles could emerge. Many of those roles will be enhanced by technologies that can collaborate with humans to enrich lives and workplaces in what the National Science Foundation (NSF) describes as the “future of work at the human-technology frontier.” Our challenge as state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders is ensuring future technicians acquire the expanding skill sets necessary for success in a rapidly changing environment.

Through the NSF-Advanced Technological Education (ATE) supported initiative, Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work, staff at the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) led a series of research activities designed to identify the knowledge and skills that will be essential for future STEM technicians. This work has resulted in the Framework for a Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core (The Framework), a set of recommendations for technician education that incorporate knowledge and skills such as Advanced Digital Literacy, Data Knowledge and Analysis, and Business Knowledge and Processes into technician preparation programs. These core content areas are essential to future success in STEM fields because they transcend narrow job specialization and enable technicians to adapt to a complex employment environment. Topics within these areas have been prioritized by educators and industry leaders.

The Framework offers practical recommendations for implementation, with regional customization, by any community college technical program. Steps toward adoption of the Framework include:

Empowering technician educators to integrate multiple disciplines into existing programs and develop new programs that support emerging disciplines and occupations;
Convening stakeholders across sectors to collaborate with educators on talent development approaches that make sense locally, yet prepare learners for the global economy; and
Discussing with employers the effects of automation and artificial intelligence on their workforce and how you can support their reskilling efforts.

Download the Framework today and discover ways you can advocate for adoption of the Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core in your state.

Tags: CORD, CTE Fall Meeting, Digital Literacy, STEM
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Digital Badges: Professional Recognition for the Modern Workforce

October 25th, 2021

Submitted by iCEV, 2021 Fall Meeting Sponsor

Skills Verification in the Digital Age

Digital badges are a powerful way to take charge of professional growth and development, and they have become a popular way for individuals to upskill and advance their careers. Businesses, schools and organizations use digital badges to provide skills verification and offer opportunities for career advancement.

Digital badges signify the learner has completed a formally approved set of standards or competencies. Learners earn badges when they complete specific tasks to prove their knowledge and skills. Earning badges is a professional way for learners to share career development experiences with others and highlight their commitment to knowledge expansion in a particular area.

Because they are an online representation of knowledge, skills and accomplishments, digital badges provide an opportunity to promote those attributes through various channels. Digital badges can be added to email signatures and digital resumes or shared on social media platforms. A digital badge provides verifiable metadata that describes the qualifications and process required to earn the digital badge, making it easier for others to recognize the learner’s expertise and achievements.

Introducing iCEV Digital Badges

iCEV is committed to providing lifelong learners the tools necessary to achieve academic and professional goals. In an ever-changing marketplace, it is essential to communicate skills and credentials effectively. iCEV has partnered with Credly to offer a modernized version of credentials through digital badging. This fall, iCEV will begin offering digital badges to anyone who earns an industry certification hosted on the iCEV Certification Testing Platform; iCEV has already started awarding badges to educators who attend an iCEV professional development event.

iCEV first began awarding digital badges at CTE Inspired, a virtual conference hosted by iCEV. Badges were awarded to presenters, as well as attendees, based on the number of sessions attended. Nearly 2,000 presenters and recipients received an iCEV digital badge by participating in CTE Inspired.

Whether an individual earns an industry certification or an educator receives professional development credit, the digital badges awarded by iCEV offer a portable, verifiable method for professional accomplishment. Visit our website to learn more about iCEV’s new digital badging initiatives.

Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, Digital badges, iCEV, Industry Certifications, professional development
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What Happened to the Men?

October 22nd, 2021

Submitted by Brett Pawlowski, NC3T, 2021 Fall Meeting Sponsor

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal that floored me – so much that I had to read it a second time. And, I still haven’t figured out how to react, or how big the impact on our society is going to be.

The article, published September 6, is titled “A Generation of American Men Give Up on College: ‘I Just Feel Lost’.” From the article:

Men are abandoning higher education in such numbers that they
now trail female college students by record levels.

At the close of the 2020-21 academic year, women made up 59.5% of college students,
an all-time high, and men 40.5%, according to enrollment data
from the National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit research group.
U.S. colleges and universities had 1.5 million fewer students compared with five years ago,
and men accounted for 71% of the decline.

The percentage of women undergrads is at an all-time high – not because more women are going to a two-or four-year college – but because the number of men doing so has fallen off a cliff.

Why would that be?

Men in interviews around the U.S. said they quit school or didn’t enroll because they didn’t see enough value in a college degree for all the effort and expense required to earn one. Many said they wanted to make money after high school.

Another explanation:

“Many young men are hobbled by a lack of guidance, a strain of anti-intellectualism, and a growing belief that college degrees don’t pay off,” said Ed Grocholski, a Senior Vice President at Junior Achievement USA, which works with about five million learners every year to teach about career paths, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

I don’t know the real reasons, and I certainly don’t know the solutions. But what I do know is that historically, those with higher levels of education have had significantly better financial and life outcomes. There’s every reason to believe that’s still the case going forward. And, the fact that this topic sees so little conversation is alarming. If we don’t address these issues, and we allow so many young men to fall through the cracks, we’re in for a very tough time as a nation.

We join with Advance CTE members in promoting the value of career-connected learning as an essential strategy for engaging and preparing young men and women for their futures. NC3T stands ready to help state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders with coaching, professional development and technical assistance around pathways development and the creation of a profile of a graduate. NC3T also helps to manage work-based learning with its Seamless WBL platform, and it supports career exploration across schools with the new CareerSmart Schools tool. Visit us at NC3T.com for more.

Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, NC3T, postsecondary, work-based learning
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Industry Certifications: Joining Industry and Education Together

October 20th, 2021

Submitted by Lincoln Electric, 2021 Fall Meeting Sponsor

Even before the current pandemic, there was a welding skills gap. That could actually mean a couple of different things: It could mean there simply are not enough skilled welders to fill the welding careers available, or it could mean there is a disconnect between the skills employers are looking for and the skills applicants actually have. Either way, this gap’s existence is a real problem in the welding industry today—for both employers and job-seeking welders.

If the problem is that trained welders do not have the specific skills employers are looking for, then the solution is to examine welding education and find a way to bridge the gap. Educational institutions communicate with the welding industry to understand which skills their students actually need for today’s jobs. Because the industry is constantly changing, the needed skills are constantly changing—which means that this communication between education and industry must be ongoing.

Lincoln Electric is heavily involved in both the industry and welding education, making sure communication is constantly maintained between the two to improve curriculum and training as the industry evolves. From this, the Lincoln Electric Education Partner Schools (LEEPS) welding program was created.

The LEEPS welding certification program is a partnership with the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3), which provides curriculum and learning management resources for students and welders to earn standards-based certifications. These certifications are portable and stackable, which means welders can build their own skill base for specific job requirements by combining the skills and certifications they need for immediate employability.

The LEEPS program creates standardization with the train-the-trainer program. All instructors who teach and certify welding students through a partner school have been through the same training, taken the same tests, and used the same curriculum materials. That means employers can feel confident that anyone who earns a LEEPS certification was taught the same content in the same way and has passed the same weld tests with the same grading rubric. This kind of consistency helps welders to have documented, proven competencies to show employers; employers know they can expect this consistency from an institution with a standardized process.

Because this program offers a way to integrate certifications into an existing educational institution, it doesn’t limit students or employers to one geographic area. With a traditional welding school, students all train at a single location and are likely to seek jobs in the same general area. With a program like LEEPS, the same quality welding education is available all over the country, so it’s more accessible to students and employers alike. This means employers can find job applicants in their area with the same qualifications as the job seekers in many states across the U.S. Employers can even set up their own internal training with LEEPS to put their welders on the fast track to certification in the specific areas that are needed in their workplace.

There is a skills gap in the welding industry, but our welding education programs can help fix it. With standardized, configurable training, today’s welders can complete valuable certifications in a way that’s both convenient and relevant to the available jobs. By bringing industry and education together collaboratively, curriculum can be tailored to meet the needs of both welders and employers in today’s job market.

Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, Industry Certifications, Lincoln Electric
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CTE: Learning that Works

October 18th, 2021

Submitted by Denise Hobbs, Oracle Academy, 2021 Fall Meeting Sponsor

In my role, I have the opportunity to speak with education leaders at all levels―learning, sharing ideas, celebrating successes and understanding their challenges. I never miss the chance to highlight why I believe that Career Technical Education (CTE) is so important.

CTE ignites imagination through clear learning pathways. CTE learning pathways lead learners to college and career success. Many of these pathways include industry certifications and apprenticeship/internships, and all start with career exploration within that pathway and igniting learners’ imaginations. Oracle Academy is Oracle’s global, philanthropic, award-winning educational program, which operates with the goal of advancing computing education to increase knowledge, innovation, skills development, and diversity in technology fields. Oracle Academy partners with institutions to create computing education pathways, train teachers, cultivate critical thinking, and bring creative, academic computing technology curriculum into classrooms. Oracle’s leadership in emerging technologies and cloud technologies spurs Oracle Academy’s innovation-focused curriculum, resources and events so that each learner has a holistic view of careers in technology.

CTE is for ALL learners. As we know, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act is critical to ensuring that quality and sustainable CTE programs meet the changing needs of learners and employers. CTE offers unique opportunities for career discovery and skills development aligned to learning pathways. Oracle Academy supports diversity in technology and actively works to increase the participation of all students in computing, including women and other under-represented groups. With Oracle Academy, all learners have equal opportunity to attain hands-on experience with the latest technologies, helping them gain industry-relevant knowledge and skills in topics including cloud technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and more.

Free resources help educators and their students teach and learn computing. Oracle Academy understands and values educators as partners who are empowered to facilitate innovative student learning in and outside the classroom. We offer educators and their students FREE resources to teach and learn computing, including curriculum, software, and certifications.

Learn more at academy.oracle.com.

Denise Hobbs
Senior Director, Oracle Academy North America
[email protected]

Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, Oracle Academy, Perkins
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Building a Legacy Based on Ethics: The Future of CTE

October 11th, 2021

Submitted by MBA Research & Curriculum Center, 2021 Fall Meeting Sponsor

As educators, can we influence the world 10,000 years from now?

The Long Now Foundation is in the process of building a 10,000-year clock. The idea is to help us think beyond our immediate future, and to imagine life and our potential impact beyond that of our generation, or our children’s generation, or even our children’s children’s generation. In education, and in Career Technical Education (CTE) specifically, adopting this mindset will help us make choices that last “beyond the ages” and continue to shape our world far into the future.

10,000 years ago dates back to the Middle Stone Age, or Mesolithic Period, when nomadic hunter/gatherers roamed the land and lived drastically different lives from our own. Life as we know it today resulted from the events of thousands of years in the past. The seeds of our reality were planted millennia ago, when agriculture was just being introduced—and our lives are a product of their germination.

So, the big question now is this: How will we look back at ourselves 10,000 years from now? I hope we look back with appreciation at the choices we make today.

CTE students now have so much to learn—the world is changing so quickly. It’s hard to think about the “long now” versus just “now.” We will never really know if we can make a 10,000-year impact. But just in case—just on the off chance that we can make a difference—why not infuse ethics education into our classrooms now in hopes of leaving a legacy based on ethical decision making (in business and in life) for generations to come?

MBA Research is working with the Daniels Fund in Denver, Colorado, to bring ethics education into classrooms in middle school, high school and community college. We have developed numerous resources for use in classrooms in CTE and beyond. The materials range from individual instructional modules to semester-long courses on ethics.

We also have videos highlighting the Daniels Fund Ethical Principles, an Ethics Boot Camp with immersive, interactive ethics-based learning activities. The boot camp also includes a free, certification-based assessment for use after ethics-based learning in the classroom utilizing our materials. The best part? All of these resources and materials are FREE to download and use in the classroom or for Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO)-based activities.

Can we make an impact 10,000 years in the future? We don’t know—but it’s absolutely worth a try.

Visit MBAResearch.org/Ethics to learn more about integrating our ethics materials into your classroom and to access the free resources available for students in your state.

Tags: CTE teachers, CTSO, Fall Meeting
Posted in Advance CTE Fall Meeting, Resources, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Building a Legacy Based on Ethics: The Future of CTE