Posts Tagged ‘career readiness’

Scalable Solutions for Today’s Manufacturing Frontline-Workforce Education | 2024 Fall Meeting Diamond Sponsor: MSSC

Friday, October 18th, 2024

Dear State Career Technical Education (CTE) Leaders and Partners,

The Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) is committed to shaping tomorrow’s manufacturing workforce by providing high-quality training solutions that empower state leaders to scale and replicate impactful programs statewide.

Manufacturing and supply chain logistics are the backbone of America’s economy, driving innovation, job creation, and economic growth across industries. To remain competitive in the global market, it is critical that we equip learners with the necessary skills to thrive in these high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand sectors.

MSSC’s industry-recognized certifications, particularly in Certified Production Technician (CPT), Certified Logistics Technician (CLT), and Certified Technician – Supply Chain Automation (CT-SCA) provide learners with the technical knowledge essential for advanced manufacturing and supply chain logistics roles. These certifications not only help your state meet the demand for a qualified workforce but also create pathways for learners to enter and advance in these vital industries, significantly enhancing their career mobility.

How MSSC Supports Statewide CTE Efforts

State CTE leaders can utilize MSSC’s comprehensive programs to:

What’s Next?

We invite you to learn more about how MSSC can support your state’s efforts to lead in CTE. Contact us to discuss how we can tailor solutions to meet your state’s unique needs.

Thank you for your continued dedication to advancing CTE for all learners.

Neil Reddy, CEO, Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC)
[email protected]

The views, opinions, services, and products shared in this post are solely for educational purposes and do not imply agreement or endorsement by Advance CTE, nor discrimination against similar brands, products, or services not mentioned.

By Layla Alagic in Meetings and Events
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Aptitude-enabled learning: Unlocking potential for career and life success | 2024 Fall Meeting Diamond Sponsor: YouScience

Thursday, October 17th, 2024

Learners today face immense pressure to find the right path for success after high school. In fact, 75% feel unprepared for life beyond graduation. Traditionally, learners relied on advice from parents and friends to shape their future plans. Aptitude-enabled learning offers a better solution, providing data-driven insights that help learners make more informed career decisions.

What is aptitude-enabled learning?

Aptitudes are inherent abilities that show how someone processes information and solves problems. Unlike interests, which change over time, aptitudes are stable and reveal long-term strengths. Aptitude-enabled learning uses assessments to measure cognitive skills such as numerical reasoning, spatial visualization, and problem-solving. These insights help learners discover career paths that align with their strengths.

Why aptitudes matter more than interests alone

Interests can change with experience, but aptitudes provide a constant guide. For example, a learner interested in art may have a natural aptitude for spatial reasoning, which could also lead to success in architecture or engineering. By combining aptitudes with interests, learners get a complete picture, ensuring they pursue careers that fit both their passions and skills.

The danger of fake aptitude tests

Many tests only identify interests, offering shallow results that don’t guide learners toward careers suited to their abilities. Real aptitude tests are backed by science, measuring cognitive skills through validated exercises. Look for tests that use performance-based measures, are scientifically validated, and are unbiased, ensuring fair treatment for all learners.

Benefits of aptitude-enabled learning in K-12 education

Aptitude-enabled learning offers significant benefits for students:

  1. Personalized learning paths: Assessments guide students toward careers that match their strengths.
  2. Increased engagement: Knowing how abilities connect to careers motivates students to invest in their education.
  3. Informed decision-making: Students make better choices about courses, extracurriculars, and post-graduation plans.
  4. Bridging the skills gap: Match learners with careers in high-demand fields, addressing industry talent shortages.

How CTE leaders can use YouScience® on a state level

Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders can implement YouScience at the state level to enhance career readiness. By leveraging YouScience’s aptitude assessment, states can provide students with personalized insights that align their education with future workforce needs. CTE leaders can use statewide programs to bridge the gap between education and industry, helping students discover careers they might not have considered and providing employers with skilled, aptitude-aligned talent. This approach supports long-term workforce development by connecting students’ strengths with in-demand careers in key industries.

The future of career readiness with aptitude-enabled learning

Aptitude-enabled learning helps learners make informed decisions about their futures, improving both engagement and readiness for careers. Tools like YouScience Aptitude & Career Discovery offer research-backed assessments that guide learners toward careers where they will excel. As more schools adopt aptitude-based approaches, learners are better equipped to navigate the future and achieve long-term success.

The views, opinions, services, and products shared in this post are solely for educational purposes and do not imply agreement or endorsement by Advance CTE, nor discrimination against similar brands, products, or services not mentioned.

By Layla Alagic in Meetings and Events
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Navigating Success: The Importance of Recognizing CTE Talent | 2024 Fall Meeting Gold Sponsor: NOCTI

Thursday, October 10th, 2024

Career Technical Education (CTE) systems are filled with proud moments of learner achievement, from graduation ceremonies to competitions and certifications. Research consistently shows that these recognition opportunities have positive impacts, increasing knowledge and engagement in learning. At NOCTI/Nocti Business Solutions (NBS), we believe in recognizing talent across all CTE stakeholder groups, including education professionals. These professionals include teachers, administrators, work-based learning coordinators, and data professionals—roles that are important to the success of CTE systems. Let’s explore the unique certification opportunities designed specifically for CTE professionals and why they are essential for navigating the seas of career success 

Charting a Course for CTE Excellence 

For over 56 years, NOCTI has been the trusted compass for measuring what matters in CTE. We are excited to offer a suite of national certifications developed in partnership with subject matter experts: 

Each certification is available at two levels, reflecting the pivotal roles these professionals play in a thriving CTE system. 

Pedagogy and Polish. The Principles of CTE Teaching certification provides a roadmap of fundamental knowledge and skills needed to facilitate technical learning. It covers classic teaching pedagogy and addresses unique aspects of CTE environments, such as safety protocols and integrating Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs), and is designed for those interested in teaching in career and technical education fields as a profession.  

Leading with Perspective. School administrators play multifaceted roles in shaping the culture and identity of CTE programs. The Principles of CTE Administration certification is designed with an understanding of leading career technical teaching and learning while promoting CTE in the broader workforce development community. 

Planning, Designing, Coordinating. The Principles of Work-Based Learning certification offers educators an opportunity to highlight their knowledge of coordinating school, program, and community systems. This certification, aimed to support educators interested in a work-based learning coordinator role, can support career advancement and introduce educators to various stakeholders.  

Noticing the Numbers. NOCTI’s Principles of Working with CTE Data certification recognizes the unique role of data professionals in schools, districts, and state systems. It highlights the depth of knowledge required in data utilization, protection protocols, governance, and management frameworks and can provide these professionals with an opportunity to showcase their unique data-related expertise.  

Benefits of Professional Certifications 

Pursuing professional certifications offers numerous advantages: 

Last spring, I had an opportunity to witness a group of data professionals preparing for Principles of Working with CTE Data credential. There was an air of nervousness and pride as they readied themselves for the process. Once finished, the buzz in the air was palpable. The typical talk among data talents about tools, the latest security issues, and systems challenges, was overrun with chatter about how much they learned from their testing experience, how good it felt to strive for the credential, and how excited they were to receive their results.   

Navigating “C-worthy” Opportunities 

Just as skilled navigators chart courses through vast oceans, CTE professionals can use certifications to plot their career trajectories. NOCTI’s Education Professional certifications provide an opportunity for CTE educators to demonstrate expertise and build credibility. These certifications support learners in moving into new areas of work or acquiring new skills. By validating their abilities against industry-based standards, these certifications boost professional confidence. Moreover, pursuing certifications demonstrates a commitment to self-improvement and industry standards. 

In addition to individual benefits, NOCTI’s Education Professional certifications can support state-level professional preparation systems. As a national benchmark tool, the certifications can support accreditation programs, provide direction for mentoring programs via a pre- and post-test approach, and be a source of data to inform professional development efforts, both at the institutional and state levels.  Data from implementation over multiple cohorts can also inform professional program effectiveness and improvements.  

Sailing Towards Excellence 

For the NOCTI/NBS team, developing and offering Education Professional certifications is a mission-driven effort. We recognize the uniqueness of CTE and the dedicated professionals who serve in these systems. By creating avenues to support the growth, advancement, and recognition of CTE professionals, we help elevate the quality of CTE for more learners. Each of our four certifications is designed to reflect professional knowledge through a CTE lens. The benefits and positive opportunities that come from pursuing these professional certifications are grounded in the experiences of the outstanding educators we have had the privilege to support on their “C-worthy” journeys. Embark on your certification journey today and set sail toward new horizons of professional excellence in CTE! 

We are proud to be a long-standing sponsor of Advance CTE. Be sure to visit our table at 2024 Fall Meeting–we would love to connect with you and explore the certification opportunities NOCTI/NBS has to offer!  

Kathleen McNally, CEO, NOCTI/NBS  

The views, opinions, services, and products shared in this post are solely for educational purposes and do not imply agreement or endorsement by Advance CTE, nor discrimination against similar brands, products, or services not mentioned.

By Layla Alagic in Meetings and Events
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Advance CTE 2024 Spring Meeting Sponsor Blog – Gold Sponsor SkillsUSA | The Skills Gap May be Wider Than You Think… But We’ll Close It Together

Wednesday, April 17th, 2024

The views, opinions, services and products shared in this post are solely for educational purposes and do not imply agreement or endorsement by Advance CTE, nor discrimination against similar brands, products or services not mentioned.

As a state Career Technical Education (CTE) leader, you’ve likely heard the phrase “skills gap” many times. We hear it often at SkillsUSA, too, especially from our current and prospective industry partners looking to secure their future workforce. At more than 400,000 student and teacher members, SkillsUSA is the largest Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) in the U.S. devoted to the skilled trades, and that’s one of the reasons we describe ourselves as “the #1 workforce development organization for students.” Another reason is our approach to closing the skills gap, one that focuses on the development of more than technical skills alone.

Yes, most discussions around the skills gap center around the need for hands-on technical skills, and understandably so. After all, the manufacturing industry alone forecasts more than 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030, and other industries offer their own daunting predictions. In fact, according to a recent report from McKinsey and Company, 87% of companies worldwide claim to either be experiencing a skills gap now or expecting to experience one in the next few years. Viewing the skills gap as mainly a shortage of technical skills is so pervasive because that shortage is such a clear and present threat to our global economy.

But there’s another aspect of the skills gap that’s just as big a threat. When we speak with industry, we hear repeatedly that entry-level employees also lack what are often called “employability” or “soft” skills. These are skills such as communication, teamwork, integrity, professionalism, and more that set employees apart as leaders, achievers, and difference-makers, which can foster success in any career… and in life itself.

Those are exactly the types of skills we work to develop in our SkillsUSA students as we accomplish our mission: to empower students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders, and responsible community members. When students combine those life skills with their hands-on skills, their potential is truly limitless.  

One of our teachers, Amanda McClure of Union Grove High School in McDonough, Georgia, says it best: “SkillsUSA transforms timid students into leaders, disinterested students into competitors and self-centered students into team players. I have seen the positive changes SkillsUSA makes in my students’ lives and witnessed their success in college and careers as a result of involvement.”

According to the recent “SkillsUSA Advantage Report,” released by the Student Research Foundation in 2022, SkillsUSA members consistently outperform their peers not enrolled in a CTSO in seven essential areas: earning a license or certification, meeting potential employers, being excited about their chosen career, gaining work experience, understanding the work environment, being excited about school, and connecting school to the real word. 

Those results are further proof that CTE is at its strongest and most impactful when it’s shaping the whole student into a confident, focused leader and contributor, one who’s uniquely skilled to succeed both personally and professionally. Showing the nation that CTE is unrivaled when it comes to setting students up for fulfilling, successful futures is how we put—and keep—“CTE at the Forefront” of workforce development discourse. In fact, many are already catching on about the amazing opportunities CTE programs provide. SkillsUSA’s membership numbers—the highest in our nearly 60-year history—are a testimony to that fact, and that’s thanks in large part to the life-changing work our state SkillsUSA directors perform each and every day on behalf of their student members. I know that same dedication is shared by all state CTE leaders, and as we commit ourselves to developing the whole student in all our programs, we make it clear—through the inspiring success of our students—what “CTE Without Limits” truly means.

Chelle Travis

Executive Director, SkillsUSA

By Layla Alagic in Advance CTE Spring Meeting
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Advance CTE 2024 Spring Meeting Sponsor Blog – Gold Sponsor Alliance for FCS | At the Forefront for Equipping Learners: Supporting CTE Performance Objectives Through Family and Consumer Sciences

Wednesday, April 10th, 2024

The views, opinions, services and products shared in this post are solely for educational purposes and do not imply agreement or endorsement by Advance CTE, nor discrimination against similar brands, products or services not mentioned.

Today states are working to address teacher shortages1, milling and baker shortages2, hospitality labor shortages3 and more. In the baking field alone, the industry is expected to have approximately 53,000 unfilled jobs by 2030. Since 2006, the Alliance for Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) has collaborated to provide career exploration resources, professional development opportunities, and industry-recognized credentials to equip Career Technical Education (CTE) learners to lead better lives, be work- and career-ready, and make meaningful contributions in their communities.   

State CTE Directors and their staff play an important role in helping to fill these shortages through the programs and pathways offered in their state. Family and Consumer Sciences programs ensure learners are prepared with the necessary academic, technical, and employability skills to be successful in any workplace and provide them with training in over eight content specialty areas, amplifying the effectiveness of FCS programs in putting learners into career paths directly from graduation. To review the range of specialties supported by Family and Consumer Sciences, visit the Alliance website.

The Alliance for Family & Consumer Sciences is a coalition of organizations representing academia, business and industry, professional associations, and honor societies leading family and consumer sciences efforts around the globe. Today, AAFCS serves as the managing partner of the Alliance.

The Alliance for FCS members are ideal partners for states seeking to set up programs and connect with business and industry and content experts to grow Family and Consumer Sciences education throughout the U.S. 

The Alliance for FCS provides research and resources in Family and Consumer Sciences content areas. One specific example is the resource page on Nutrition and Wellness which supports states seeking to prepare learners to enter industries suffering worker shortages such as culinary arts, milling and baking, food science and nutrition, and food-supporting industries. Lesson plans, safety tips, webinars, certification programs, and other programs offered by Alliance for FCS members are available to CTE directors and staff to enhance state educational programs, making them ideal sources of future employees for these industries. Visit the Alliance for FCS, Nutrition, and Wellness Resources today at https://www.aafcs.org/allianceforfcs/initiatives/nutrition-wellness 

To inquire about resources in the other Family and Consumer Sciences content areas or to join the Alliance, reach out to [email protected] for more information. 

About the Alliance for FCS

The mission of the Alliance for Family & Consumer Sciences is to unify diverse organizations with a common purpose by advancing the value of family and consumer sciences globally. These efforts will enhance the visibility and viability of family and consumer sciences to improve the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities in a diverse and global society.

By Layla Alagic in Advance CTE Spring Meeting
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Advance CTE 2024 Spring Meeting Sponsor Blog – Gold Sponsor NOCTI | Why CTE Leaders Should Care About Assessment: Three Compelling Benefits to Learners and State Teams

Tuesday, April 9th, 2024

The views, opinions, services and products shared in this post are solely for educational purposes and do not imply agreement or endorsement by Advance CTE, nor discrimination against similar brands, products or services not mentioned.

In the ever-evolving landscape of workforce education and the development of tomorrow’s workforce, high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE) programs and prepared graduates remain indispensable. Positioned to enrich the nation’s workforce pipeline with highly skilled individuals, CTE systems are essential contributors to economic growth.

State CTE leaders set direction, make decisions aligned to their mission, and create value for learners and employers.  There is a unique opportunity to establish benchmarks for defining high-quality CTE systems and that involves a continuous commitment to assessing inputs and outputs, recognizing assessment’s role in ensuring quality outcomes.

For over 55 years, NOCTI/Nocti Business Solutions (NBS) has been dedicated to CTE by developing reliable processes, resources, and research support to strengthen the role of assessments in CTE programs. This commitment highlights the significance of third-party skills verification as a fundamental practice in high-quality CTE systems. Utilizing data-driven quality assessment promotes continuous improvement and boosts leaders’ confidence.

Here are three benefits of implementing quality assessment practices to propel CTE programs forward and assist CTE leaders in contributing economic value across their states.

Benefit #1: Gain confidence in preparing learners for workplace readiness.

State CTE leaders utilize data as feedback to continuously improve systems, celebrate high-quality programs, and target areas for improvement. For example, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) utilizes NOCTI/NBS assessments and data for various purposes, including program evaluation, curriculum alignment, instructional improvement, professional development, and accountability. Learners meeting state-established benchmarks are eligible for the Pennsylvania Skills Certificate (PSC), recognizing individual advanced technical skill achievement.

Benefit #2: Engage industry partners through authentic approaches.

High-quality CTE systems involve business/industry partners in verifying skills, ensuring learner assessments accurately reflect expertise. This practice not only benefits learners but also provides industry employees with an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to CTE schools and programs. As one evaluator recently summarized, “I am always willing to set time aside to work with these learners and programs, as this is the future of my industry–one that I care about and want to impact.”

Benefit #3: Recognize CTE learners in ways that honor skill development.

Recognition of learning progress motivates learners, contributing to their confidence and expertise. NOCTI/NBS certifications offer third-party validated credentials aligned with industry standards. CTE teachers receive affirmation of their instructional impact on learners, validating program quality across various learning contexts. Continuous improvement and collaboration with industry partners enable CTE leaders to create meaningful opportunities for learners to thrive in their chosen fields.

CTE programs shape the future workforce, providing essential skills for success. Implementing NOCTI/NBS assessments ensures learners are prepared for workforce demands and their accomplishments are recognized. Contact NOCTI/NBS to learn more about national certifications and options to integrate NOCTI/NBS products and services into CTE state assessment systems. Join our Subject Matter Expert network! 

Kathleen McNally, NOCTI/NBS CEO

[email protected]

www.nocti.org

By Layla Alagic in Advance CTE Spring Meeting
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New Skills ready network Highlight Blog: Career Connected Advising in the Middle Grades

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023

The New Skills ready network (NSrn) is part of JPMorgan Chase’s substantial portfolio in support of an inclusive economy and workforce. This five-year commitment is part of the New Skills at Work initiative to prepare people for the future of work and their $30 billion commitment to advance racial equity. With a dedication to building equitable career pathways, the New Skills ready network connects six sites —  Boston, Massachusetts; Columbus, Ohio; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Nashville, Tennessee — with local partners with the intentionality necessary to build a strong workforce ecosystem for all learners.

For this highlight blog, Advance CTE Senior Policy Associate Haley Wing met with Erin Jacques, MyCAP District Coordinator, and Marsha Innis-Mitchell, Executive Director of Postsecondary Initiatives for Boston Public Schools to discuss career-connected advising in middle grades. Erin and Marsha are both partners of the New Skills ready network Boston, Massachusetts, project team.  

The Boston, Massachusetts project team for the New Skills ready network believes in a city where all young people can engage in high-quality career learning that supports exploration, informed decision-making and preparation for the future. The team aims to dramatically increase the number of Black, Latinx, special education, and English Learner students who participate in and persist through engaging, relevant, and equitable career pathways and are prepared to enter meaningful careers. 

 



 

Overview

Over the past three years, the Boston, Massachusetts, project team has been transforming systems to drive equitable education and career outcomes for all learners. The project team has achieved significant milestones in the development of high-quality, equitable career pathways including addressing structural and institutional barriers to equitable career pathways and creating a holistic and seamless advising system to support learners. In year three of the New Skills ready network initiative, the project team prioritized expanding access to coordinated, holistic and equitable college and career advising. The 2022-2023 school year was the first of college and career-connected advising in the middle-grades and project team members from Boston Public Schools shared how they leveraged cross-department collaboration, offered supports to identified priority schools for the rollout and lessons learned throughout the process.

Leveraging Cross-Department Collaboration to Support Expanded Access to Career-Connected Advising 

In expanding access to college and career advising, Boston Public School members of the initiative’s project team strengthened their implementation of the My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP). MyCAP is a learner-centered, multi-year planning tool designed to provide learners with ongoing opportunities to plan for their academic, personal, social and career success. Additionally, because MyCAP is student-centered, there is a large focus on anti-bias and equity to inform, advise and mentor learners. This includes expanding learners’ thinking about what is possible and positioning them to move forward in ways they envision future success. 

Implementing MyCAP with fidelity across Boston Public Schools requires sustainable and deepened staff capacity at the district’s central office as well as at the school level. Marsha and Erin both support cultivating and maintaining strategic partnerships across the district to align with MyCAP priorities. The collaboration and partnerships during this first year of expanded access to middle-grade learners included leveraging family liaisons who support informing learners and families of opportunities within Boston Public Schools and activating counselor teams that support caseloads of learners in the middle grades. The project team also expanded its reach to include community partnerships that operate in the college and career areas to better serve middle-grade learners. The advantage of bringing these partnerships into the fold allowed greater support for learners with exposure to skills and experiences that support college and career readiness and success (see image). 

To actualize expanded access to MyCAP, the project team identified a cohort of schools with grade configurations in the middle grades (grades 6,7 and 8). The team then worked across departments within the school district to increase the capacity to deliver training, guidance and resources to the identified priority schools. Training for school-level staff includes step-by-step instruction on using the tool and leveraging the accompanying resources to draw connections between learners’ interests and college and career opportunities.

To support schools in their efforts, the district staff recommends schools leverage formalized MyCAP plans that articulate how schools will accomplish MyCAP implementation and the set of experiences they will provide for learners over the course of the school year. Due to the intentionality of the district leadership, plans include support systems like additional counselors pushing in, leveraging collaboration with partners and additional guidance from the district team to support the work.

Impact of Expanded Access to MyCAP

As a result of the Boston, Massachusetts project team expanding access to high-quality college and career advising through MyCAP, 45% of 7th-grade learners and 42% of 8th-grade learners in the identified priority schools have completed at least one MyCAP task in the first year of expansion. Additionally, the number of district and school-level staff that are being trained on MyCAP continues to increase; in the first year 150 staff were trained and over 200 individuals have been trained as of October 2023. The group of 200 includes staff representing all of the district’s secondary schools and a dozen of lower-elementary schools. 

The district team and school-level staff are also making greater connections with MyCAP to other bodies of work such as transition planning and special education efforts. MyCAP supports the development and implementation of efforts to support learners’ postsecondary readiness and transitions; these components are also in alignment with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Transitional planning is integral to IEPs and MyCAP is transition planning for learners.

Lessons Learned from Launching Expanded Access to MyCAP

Additional capacity building: A key component of the expansion of MyCAP includes additional capacity building. The project team explicitly highlighted that this work is not possible without a district-level staff member dedicated to serving and supporting school-level staff to implement MyCAP. Erin’s role allows the capacity to sit down with school-level staff to increase counselors’ leadership abilities and competencies. As mentioned earlier, the district provides resources to support this work, however, resources and guidance documents are only useful if there is a staff member to support walking through the planning and implementation process.

School counselor involvement is critical: At the school level, school counselors are needed to support the planning, collaboration and implementation of MyCAP. In schools where the expanded access efforts have been implemented, there is a counselor who has built their team within the school, trained their team and teachers, and informed administrators of the planning and implementation process. This is especially important considering scheduling within school buildings and ensuring that MyCAP is integrated into and across advisory blocks within schools.

Adequate training is essential to advocacy: In addition to better serving learners in their career and college planning, the project team has also noted the increased advocacy efforts of counselors within schools that are implementing expanded access to MyCAP. The project team has noticed when school-level counselors are adequately trained and supported, they take ownership of the implementation process and leverage their leadership to mobilize their peers. This can include accurately communicating the vision of MyCAP, identifying how and when it connects to other school-level staff’s work, offering support to leverage MyCAP and advocating for systems within the school that support learners’ postsecondary success. This is especially exciting to witness given there is no mandate to implement or leverage MyCAP in Boston Public Schools, and signals to the district that in the sea of competing priorities, school counselors, administrators and staff are identifying MyCAP as foundational to learners’ transitions to and through college and careers.

Replicating Expanded Access to College and Career Advising

Providing learners access to high-quality college and career advising is a critical component of supporting learners’ transitions, readiness and preparation for the workforce. Leaders who are interested in replicating the efforts of Boston Public Schools should:

Looking Ahead

As the project team looks forward, they plan to continue the momentum of expanded access to MyCAP and plan to bring in more schools with earlier grade bands like elementary schools in the district. As MyCAP training and implementation expands, the team continues to have a deep focus on equity, aligning inclusive education goals and activating MyCAP at points of transition within learners’ journey. 

To learn more about Individual Career and Academic Plans, read Implementing Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAP) at Scale in the Learning that Works Resource Center. This brief highlights promising practices for ICAP implementation at the state and local levels in Colorado, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin and provides recommendations for further state and local work to scale ICAPs.

Haley Wing, Senior Policy Associate

Read our other New Skills ready network Highlight Blogs from 2023:

By Layla Alagic in CTE Without Limits
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Welcome Emily Passias to Advance CTE!

Monday, September 18th, 2023

I could not be more delighted to join the team here at Advance CTE! A self-proclaimed “Career Technical Education (CTE) evangelist,” I’ve spent much of my career designing, implementing and supporting policies and practices that create the conditions for high-quality CTE to flourish, and have had the pleasure to learn from and work alongside the Advance CTE team and members over those years. As a former State CTE Director and Advance CTE member, it is an honor to be able to give back to an organization that has given so much to me and to the field at large.

I am a Buckeye through and through, having spent nearly two decades either learning or teaching at The Ohio State University. As a sociologist by training, the driver at the heart of my work has always been reducing inequality. After many years of conducting research and teaching research methods, statistics, and substantive sociology courses at The Ohio State University, I became enthralled with the promise that CTE holds to prepare learners to achieve their aspirations. 

That passion took me to the Ohio Department of Education where I spent seven years serving the learners of Ohio, designing state-level policy and practice solutions to strengthen and scale CTE in the state while simultaneously closing long-standing access and performance gaps across student groups. During my tenure at the Ohio Department of Education, I had the opportunity lead the development of the state’s CTE Report Card and CTE-focused pathways to high school graduation, as well as the state’s efforts to launch and scale middle-grade CTE and better align education and workforce by identifying and incentivizing credentials of value in CTE programs. 

Immediately prior to joining the Advance CTE team, I served as the Vice President for Policy at the Linked Learning Alliance where I worked with states and communities to design and implement policies that support college and career pathways that intentionally integrate high-quality CTE, rigorous academics, early postsecondary opportunities, and work-based learning experiences.  I also spent several years as the Director of Career Readiness at Education Strategy Group, where I led the firm’s work on credentials of value and worked with states and communities to plan, implement, and scale high-quality, industry-aligned pathways.

I am based in Columbus, Ohio where I live with my large blended family which includes four teenagers along with my 21-year old, five dogs, and my lovely husband Geoff. For the first time this school year, I get to play another role in the CTE system – that of a CTE parent. Outside of work, you can find me in the garden, cooking, or shuttling kids around to volleyball and basketball activities.

By Layla Alagic in Our Staff
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Top Recommendations from Coalition for Career Development Center’s Inaugural Report to Improve State Career Readiness

Thursday, August 11th, 2022

In May, the Coalition for Career Development Center released the first annual The Condition of Career Readiness in the United States. The 129-page report evaluates key states’ career readiness policies, investments and outcomes across all 50 states, including personalized career and academic plans (PCAP), funding, curriculums, accountability, and Career Technical Education (CTE) program outcomes. Accompanying the report is an interactive national map that links available PCAP resources, work-based learning (WBL) toolkits, Perkins V plans, social-emotional learning (SEL) toolkits and ESSA plans for each state to allow state leaders to assess and enhance their career readiness systems 

The report finds that  “[to] become a Career Ready Nation we all have work to do. And, cost-effective solutions and strategies used by many states or regions within states offer a way forward.” As a 50-state landscape of key components of career readiness, this report gives state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders valuable findings and guidance to better align and interconnect career readiness systems that are responsive to the needs of each learner across their entire career journey. 

Here are several recommendations and state highlights that state CTE leaders can consider to make that alignment possible;

Recommendation 1: Expand Post-School Outcome Data 

Recommendation 2: Identify Engagement Strategies for Learners Ages 16 to 19

Recommendation 3: Invest in PCAP

Recommendation 4: Increase Access to Work-based Learning Opportunities

Recommendation 5: Invest in Career Advising

The extensive report includes sources cited from several publications in Advance CTE’s Learning that Works Resource Center (specific references can be found starting on page 119.) 

Brice Thomas, Policy Associate 

 

By Stacy Whitehouse in Resources
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High School Graduates Reassessing Postsecondary Plans During COVID-19, Prioritizing Real-World Skills and Alternate Career Pathways

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021

Postsecondary enrollment has seen dramatic declines during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, particularly for learners with low incomes and learners of color. A report recently published by the Strada Education Network sheds light on the experiences of high school graduates who have delayed their postsecondary education plans in 2020 and 2021. The report builds on survey data of 1,000 recent graduates previously covered by Advance CTE, as well as 17 in-depth interviews with learners. Strada finds that while these high school graduates remain committed to continuing their education, pandemic-related disruptions have caused them to reassess their initial plans and explore alternate pathways to career success. 

Learners across the board have experienced heightened uncertainty about college affordability and traditional career pathways as the labor market destabilized as a result of the coronavirus. Some learners said they were hesitant to enroll in coursework that would likely be conducted online, and concerns about taking care of family members amidst the health risks associated with the pandemic were also prevalent reasons for delaying enrollment, particularly among Black and Latinx learners. The report highlights three major priorities of high school graduates when considering when and how to re-engage with higher education: 

These priority areas shed light on effective supports that state Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders and educational institutions can implement to promote the success of aspiring postsecondary learners disrupted by the pandemic. Financial assistance, mentoring relationships and personalized advising supports are especially powerful tools for closing the opportunity gaps that hinder the success of learners with low incomes, learners of color and first-generation college students. Despite the uncertainties of today’s labor market, recent high school graduates still believe that postsecondary educational opportunities are essential for both personal and professional development, as well as preparing for and transitioning to meaningful careers. Recognizing the future-focused resilience of these recent graduates and addressing their central areas of concern are important first steps for re-engagement in postsecondary education and career pathways.

Allie Pearce, Graduate Fellow

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