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CTE Month: Tell the Nation that CTE Works

February 7th, 2012

Share the CTE: Learning that works for America â„¢ video

CTE is working across the nation to enable students of all ages to excel in their schools and colleges, and secure high-demand jobs. NASDCTEc has created a video that represents the rich and diverse brand of CTE. It highlights students of a range of talents, backgrounds and ages, and in a mix of industries in which CTE helps student succeed. 

 Let people know that CTE works!

  • Share this video with others.
  • Post it on your department, school, college, organization or business Web site.
  • Use it as an introduction for your presentation

Through February, NASDCTEc will provide members and CTE advocates with resources and simple ways to recognize CTE Month. Take the time to raise awareness and support the entire CTE community!  Visit www.careertech.org for free CTE: Learning that works for America tools.

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General Registration Set to Go Live January 23 for the 2012 National Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute

January 20th, 2012

Mark your calendars for the 2012 National Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute June 17-20, 2012 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in beautiful Washington, DC.

Setting a New Standard is the theme of this exciting event, which brings together educators from middle school, secondary, and postsecondary levels, school counseling, state education leadership, along with workforce development, business and industry experts, and economic development representatives to gain insight, hear strategies, and plan efforts for coordinating the implementation of aligned educational delivery in communities and states.

Highlights for the 10th National Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute include:

  • The latest release of the validated National Career Clustersâ„¢ Knowledge and Skills Statements,
  • Green/sustainability Knowledge and Skills,
  • Updated Career Clustersâ„¢ crosswalks, and
  • Insight into the Common Career Technical Core
  • Several exciting Pre-Sessions offered January 17 and the morning of January 18
  • A multitude of targeted breakout sessions – just what attendees are looking for

Beautiful Omni Shoreham Hotel, located in the heart of DC

The legendary Omni Shoreham is the location for the Institute. You can make your reservations online NOW .

Room at Omni Shoreham

For more information, go to the Institute Main Information Page on the www.careertech.org Web site.

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

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Friends of CTE Guest Blog Series: I LOVE MY JOB!

January 11th, 2012

Deanna Lewis serves as the Director for Career & Certification Services with the Home Builders Institute (HBI). Prior to joining HBI’s family in 2001, Lewis’ experiences included teaching at the elementary level where she developed a customized curriculum for transitional first grade students; managing the tri-state (Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware) satellite office of the New York Times; and conducting test score interpretation as a consultant for the College Board.

During a recent visit, my plumber said, “I love my job!” as he was patiently answering my hundred and one questions without slowing down on the task at hand (he was getting paid by the hour). He said this before he gave me the bill. I’m sure he was enjoying his job even more as I wrote the check.

His comment, “I love my job,” left an impression on me. I began to wonder what happened to the passion tradesmen and women used to have for their jobs. That sense of excitement about learning plumbing systems or the concept that a carpenter’s work is his or her art. Is that passion still out there?

Will the Workforce be Ready?

It is predicted that by 2014 careers in the Architecture and Construction Career Cluster will start to resume employment levels like those seen in 2007 and will exceed 2007 levels in 2015.[1] Will the industry have a workforce prepared to meet the demands? Carpenters are listed as one of the 30 occupations with the largest employment growth from 2008-18. The profession is categorized as requiring long-term on-the-job training.[2] Are there a sufficient number of trainees to fill the future demand?

Industry Opportunities – Choosing the Right Path

Construction offers opportunities at every level. It is an industry that still has career opportunities following high school. That does not imply that training stops at that point. Instead, it indicates there are still on-the-job training opportunities available. There are also certificate and two-year programs offered at technical schools and community colleges.  For management-level positions, many companies will require a four-year degree.

That being said, it is predicted that overall, 34 percent of the jobs in the Architecture and Construction Career Cluster™ will require at least some postsecondary education and training by 2018.[1] Now is the time to engage youth. Inform them about the educational requirements to be successful in the industry. HBI currently offers a first step to professionalism through its student certification program, which sets the stage for stackable credentials.[4] The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) also provides information about the Architecture and Construction Career Cluster™ at http://www.careertech.org/career-clusters/landing-pages/architecture.html.

Educators Making a Difference

Career Technical Education (CTE) has programs in nearly 1,300 public high schools and 1,700 two-year-colleges[3]. HBI is a strong supporter of CTE because it meets our members’ needs and helps students, of all ages, become college and career ready so they have a lifetime of success. CTE programs do an excellent job preparing students for the industry opportunities identified above, but it is clear that instructors go far beyond just preparing students to work.

Stan Sluzenski’s students are bound to be on the right path to becoming industry professionals. Sluzenski, a Building Trades Instructor at St. Croix Regional Technical Center in Calais, Maine, utilizes his resources well to help his students gain respect and experience. He said, “As a teacher, I encounter the need for skilled workers from many different sources, including my local advisory board, community members and industry recruiters.”

The Spokane Home Builders Association in Spokane, Washington, is celebrating 31 years of changing lives and building futures. Kim Waseca-Love, Education/Apprenticeship Director captured the spirit of their program when she said, “Carpentry allows us to express our creative spirit.” Waseca-Love goes on to say, “We also know the feeling of accomplishment that we have when we look at our completed work.” She feels the instructors are the apprenticeship program’s key ingredient. “It is because of their qualifications and passion for the trade that our students are able to acquire all the educational opportunities they need to climb as high as they wish on the residential construction industry’s ladder of success.”

Educators such as Sluzenski and Waseca-Love are leading the charge for a knowledgeable workforce by making sure students interested in the construction industry know…

  • The difference between just a job and a career
  • How and where to look for employment following high school
  • The reason for advancing skills after high school
  • The postsecondary educational opportunities that are available
  • How to access the various types of postsecondary training

Just as important, though, they are instilling in their students a crucial passion for the work. It takes time to become a skilled professional in the construction industry. Hopefully, there will be many reaching that status who will chime in with the words . . . “I love my job!”

 

The Friends of CTE Guest Blog Series provides advocates – from business and industry, researchers and organizations – an opportunity to articulate their support for Career Technical Education. The monthly series features a guest blogger who provides their perspective on and
experience with CTE as it relates to policy, the economy and education.

Are you interested in being a guest blogger and expressing your support for CTE? Contact Melinda Findley Lloyd, Communications Consultant, at [email protected].

 

[1] The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, “Career Clusters:  Forecasting Demand for High School through College Jobs 2008-2018”, Georgetown University, November 2011. http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/clusters-complete-update1.pdf

[2] United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic and Employment Projections Table 7. The 30 fastest-growing occupations, 2008-18, December 2009. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.toc.htm

[3] National Center for Education Statistics.

[4] Home Builders Institute, http://www.hbicertification.org

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Site of 2012 National Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute is Legendary Omni Shoreham in Washington DC

December 22nd, 2011

Mark your calendars for the 2012 National Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. This legendary hotel is known internationally and is a grand presence in the DC landscape. Since 1930, the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC has played host to presidents, world leaders and inaugural balls, making it a true historic Washington landmark.

Located in one of the most influential cities of the world, this grand luxury hotel offers a resort atmosphere and a personal taste of politics, culture, art and music at its best. The four-diamond Omni Shoreham Hotel is nestled on 11 acres in picturesque Rock Creek Park in northwest Washington, DC and is within walking distance of the National Zoo.

The meeting rooms are grand, the rooms luxurious, the amenities are outstanding – all adding up to the most exciting Institute ever!

Luxurious rooms at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC

Details:

  • The Omni Shoreham hotel, site of the 2012 Institute, is at 2500 Calvert Street NW (at Connecticut Ave.)
    Washington, DC 20008 Phone: (202) 234-0700, Fax: (202) 265-7972.
  • The Institute Opening General Session begins at 1 p.m. on June 18, 2012, and the Closing General Session ends at Noon on June 20, 2012
  • You can make your online reservations NOW
  • Bookend a vacation along with the meeting: Local Information and the Washington DC Convention and Visitors Web site
  • The pool is awesome – June can be very hot and humid in DC, so a cool dip in the pool in the evening sounds great!

Highlights for the 10th National Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute include the latest release of the validated Career Clustersâ„¢ knowledge and skills statements, green/sustainability knowledge and skills, updated Career Clustersâ„¢ crosswalks, and insight into the Common Career Technical Core.

General registration is set to go live January 23, 2012. Information about registration rates are shared ONLINE. You can make your hotel reservations now. Attendees can register with a Purchase Order from their educational institution. You will be able to register as an individual, or get a group discount if you register a team of 5 or more.

The theme for the 2012 Institute is Setting a New Standard. This exciting event brings together educators from middle school, secondary, and postsecondary levels, school counseling, state education leadership, along with workforce development, business and industry experts, and economic development representatives to gain insight, hear strategies, and plan efforts for coordinating the implementation of aligned educational delivery in communities and states.


Mark your calendar to attend the meeting now!

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager
Learn more: National Career Clusters Institute General Information

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Reminder to Submit a Proposal for the 2012 Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute Before December 9 Deadline

November 22nd, 2011

This is a reminder that the 2012 Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute Call for Presenters is now open!

The Call for Presentations for the 2012 Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute is open until December 9, 2011. You are cordially invited to submit a PROPOSAL.

The Institute is June 18-20, 2012 in Washington, DC at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Mark your calendars! More information about the Institute


The purpose of the Institute is to provide a venue for sharing of effective practices, ideas, and research. Ultimately, the goal is to increase student success and ensure our nation’s economic growth and security. Therefore, Institute sessions should promote the use of Career Clustersâ„¢ to drive collaboration and innovation in state and local education and workforce systems.

The 2012 Institute theme is Setting a New Standard and the program will be organized into five primary strands, aligned with NASDCTEc’s core principles for CTE:

•CTE is critical to ensuring that the United States leads in global competitiveness.
•CTE actively partners with employers to design and provide high-quality, dynamic programs.
•CTE prepares students to succeed in further education and careers.
•CTE is delivered through comprehensive programs of study aligned to The National Career Clusters Framework.
•CTE is a results-driven system that demonstrates a positive return on investment.

Share your experiences and successes to inform participants with specific how-to, replicable advice that goes beyond awareness of Career Clustersâ„¢ to specific implementation strategies.

Benefits:
•Reduced registration at the conference for up to 3 presenters/breakout
•Opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from around the country
•Share practices and experiences to increase engagement and opportunity with others
•Professional development
•Highlight/showcase your topic, providing visibility at the national level

Questions? Please call our office at 301-588-9630.

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

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2012 National Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute Call for Presentations is Now Open – Deadline to Submit: November 16, 2011

November 8th, 2011

Reminder: The 2012 Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute Call for Presentations is now open!
Date: June 18-20, 2012 in Washington, DC at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. More information

The Call for Presentations for the 2012 Career Clustersâ„¢ Institute is Now Open. You are cordially invited to submit a proposal. The purpose of the Institute is to provide a venue for sharing of effective practices, ideas, and research. Ultimately, the goal is to increase student success and ensure our nation’s economic growth and security. Therefore, Institute sessions should promote the use of Career Clustersâ„¢ to drive collaboration and innovation in state and local education and workforce systems.

The 2012 Institute theme is Setting a New Standard and the program will be organized into five primary strands. Share your experiences and successes to inform participants with specific how-to, replicable advice that goes beyond awareness of Career Clustersâ„¢ to specific implementation strategies.

Benefits for approved proposals:

• Reduced registration at the conference for up to 3 presenters/breakout
• Opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from around the country
• Share practices and experiences to increase engagement and opportunity with others
• Professional development
• Highlight/showcase your topic, providing visibility at the national level

Complete the Call for Presentation information form online today! Deadline to submit is November 16, 2011.

Questions: Please call our office at 301-588-9630.
Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

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Fall Meeting: Improving Program Quality: Standards

November 1st, 2011

The importance of standards to influence the expectations of quality learning continues to expand across the nation. States continue to identify strategies for implementation and integration of the common core state standards using national and state resources, as reported at the recent fall meeting in Baltimore.

Dr. Karen L. Alexander, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Texas Tech University provided a very insightful view of Achieve Texas: Promoting a Local College and Career Ready Culture initiative. The vertical alignment project resulted in standards that are now available under the P-16 initiative section at Texas Higher Education Commission website. The resulting crosswalks ensure that CTE courses integrate academic standards and career preparation skills and waited standards and skills can be applied to real-world. A copy of her PowerPoint is available at www.careertech.org.

Kate Blosveren-Kreamer, who is the Associate Director, Strategic Communications and Outreach, at Achieve, Inc., provided a compelling and thoughtful update on the processes associated with state implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In addition, she provided an update on the creation of educational exemplars that integrate the CCSS of math and English language arts with the CTE Knowledge and Skill Statements. The pilot project began in Illinois and build from the process rubric that identified alignment and the intensity of that alignment for tasks targeted in the Pre-Design Construction Pathway. Opportunities for additional states to participate in this work is available.

Mark Williams, Illinois State CTE Director, provided a deeper of the protocol and process utilized to create the math and CTE exemplars. Expanding the use of the protocol to engage additional program areas has led to an expansion of resources developed within the state. The importance of ensuring that all students are college and career ready continues to be an important goal to achieve.

Dr. Dean R. Folkers, Deputy Executive Director, National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc), provided an overview of the revision process of the Career Cluster(TM) Knowledge and Skills revision and the emergence of the Common Career Technical Core to support a state led development of common career technical standards among states. The unique opportunity to support a common expectation, among states, allows for an equity of opportunity among student learning experiences, and supports a clearer alignment to the Common Core State Standards in the emerging Next-Generation Science Standards.

The presentations and supporting resources are available at www.careertech.org

 

Dean Folkers, Deputy Executive Director

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Fall Meeting: Focus on Program Quality: Partnerships

October 31st, 2011

For this session, panelists discussed how partnerships help to improve Career Technical Education programs and offerings for students, including business partnerships and connections between learner levels.

Alaska State Director Helen Mehrkens moderated the panel which included Gretchen Koch, Senior Director, Workforce Development Programs of CompTIA, and Curtis Biggs of the National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships.

Koch outlined how CompTIA has been the Information Technology (IT) Career Clusterâ„¢ and National Advisory Committee Leader since 2006, and that CompTIA participated in the development of new Green IT Pathways. Different partnering organizations they work with include:

• Partnering on Advocacy for CTE: Sullivan High School CTE Program for Health Sciences, with Senator Durbin (D-IL)
• Partnering with Federal Agencies such as the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, and the Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education
• Partnering with CTE Programs including Chicago Public Schools, the Illinois IT Task Force, Illinois Race to the Top, and Illinois Health IT Task Force
• Partnering with other Career Clusters™

Koch also showed how Health and IT Career Clustersâ„¢ were cross walked for secondary and postsecondary programs of study; implementation pilot program of study is at Chicago Public Schools.

The National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships’ (NACEP) Representative, Curtis Biggs, explained how NACEP Standards and Accreditation strengthen dual credit programs. Sharing how accelerated learning options – concurrent enrollment, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, among several models – are accepted by public institutions, Biggs showed how the NACEP standards strengthen an institution’s dual credit program by:

• Giving students assurance that they are taking true college courses;
• Aiding students in seeking credit recognition;
• Enhancing reputation of college and high school partners;
• Leverage to gain commitments from college faculty and staff;
• Enhancing relationships and cooperation of all partner groups;
• The knowledge that school districts value accreditation when communicating with parents; and
• Schools consulting with college when making new hires.

Koch and Biggs shared a PowerPoint of their joint presentation, which provides additional information on large-scale research results comparing students who took dual or concurrent enrollment compared to those who did not.

Ramona Schescke, Member Services Manager

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Fall Meeting: Being an Innovative Leader During Tough Times

October 31st, 2011

Given the tough fiscal climate, states are being asked to do more with less. During the opening session at NASDCTEc’s Fall Meeting, states shared how they are continuing to expand CTE and be innovative in their approach, despite funding cuts and dwindling resources.

John Fischer, State Director of CTE in Vermont, spoke about a consortium of New England states leveraging their resources to ensure that high schools graduates are prepared for college and careers in the 21st century. For example, partner states are working together to build flexible pathway and proficiency based graduation models together.

Sherry Key, State Director of CTE in Alabama, shared the work being done by her state on a commission that Alabama has created to look at the future of CTE. The Career and Technical Education Commission will review the status of secondary CTE programs as well as the needs of employers in the state, and then make recommendations on how to strengthen and support CTE programs. Despite state budget crises, Alabama has chosen to focus on CTE as a way to help the economy and get people back to work.

T.J. Eyer, Division Administrator for CTE in Montana, discussed the work that Montana is doing around the transition to Programs of Study. Montana is prioritizing all of its Perkins funds to focus on Programs of Study until all programs meet RPOS standards. See his PowerPoint presentation for more information.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

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Fall Meeting: Using Data to Drive Decisions

October 31st, 2011

At the NASDCTEc fall meeting last week, Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders from across the nation addressed many issues, including how data should be used to drive decision making in CTE. A panel of experts addressed relevant topics to CTE, such as diversifying the uses of CAR data, the return on investment of CTE, and how Career Clusters are addressing labor market demands.

Data Diversification in CTE

Matt Hastings from the Nebraska Department of Education described the role of subpopulations in the Perkins accountability data framework and the challenges with solely relying on subpopulation analyses.

Perkins accountability focuses on small groups of students so policymakers can see the return on investment (ROI) of Perkins dollars through CTE accountability measures. The system becomes a challenge, however, because CTE accountability takes on multiple roles; the success or failure of CTE programs is judged based on these accountability measures, while policymakers rely on these measures for ROI information to drive program and policy decisions.

Return on Investment in CTE

Pradeep Kotamraju of the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education (NRCCTE) described the overarching concern around CTE for policymakers and stakeholders as: is federal, state, and local investment in CTE paying off?

This presentation overviewed approaches and factors to consider when calculating ROI, and steps necessary to calculate ROI in CTE.

Career Clusters: Forecasting High School through College Jobs – 2008-2018

Nicole Smith from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce shared highlights from the Center’s latest report, which forecasts job opportunities by Career Cluster. Among other key findings, Smith shared that:

  • Inclusion of certificate preparation should be part of a career-ready education
  • Women still need more education to earn less
  • Wages in business, management, and administration are growing the fastest while those for human services have declined

This report will be released on November 14, 2011.

Kara Herbertson, Education Policy Analyst

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