CTE Fall Meeting « Advance CTE Blog

Advance CTE Fall Meeting Sponsor Blog: Platinum Sponsor, Oracle Academy – Tools for Career Technical Education and Learning that Works

Wednesday, October 5th, 2022

As Oracle’s global philanthropic educational program, Oracle Academy is open to educators around the world to advance technology education, skills, innovation, diversity and inclusion. We offer academic institutions and their educators free teaching and learning resources ― including curriculum, cloud, software, and educator professional development ― that help prepare millions of students with hands-on practice and career-relevant skills.

In my role as Sr. Regional Director for North America, I have the opportunity to work with Career Technical Education (CTE) leaders from all over the nation ― learning, sharing ideas, celebrating successes, and understanding challenges. In return, I share information on Oracle Academy teaching and learning resources that CTE leaders can encourage educators to use to help elevate CTE student success and overcome those challenges. Our resources have met the requirements under the Carl D. Perkins Act since 2006, and states have adopted our teaching and learning resources for use in professional development and curriculum design.

Learn more about us below!

As a means to continue the good work of preparing students with career-relevant knowledge and skills, Oracle Academy has developed new resources and tools that are available to Oracle Academy members:

The introduction of Oracle Academy Java for AP Computer Science A Curriculum that prepares high school students for the College Board AP Computer Science A exam as well as the Oracle Certified Foundations Associate, Java exam (1Z0-811). An extension of the Java Foundations curriculum, this new curriculum includes content to meet the objectives outlined by the College Board for AP Computer Science A. It also may benefit educators and students who wish to extend their Java knowledge beyond Java Foundations.
Every journey begins with a first step. My Oracle Academy (OA) Journeys are a starting point for new and existing educator members to grow their technology education expertise. My OA Journey will point educator members in the right direction through precise questioning to determine which OA teaching resources will support their needs. Access My OA Journey in the Oracle Academy Member Hub.
Development of an Oracle Academy Scheduled Learning Widget, conveniently located in the Oracle Academy Member Hub, allows for just in time learning for educators. The new Scheduled Learning Widget will provide all educator members with easy access to scheduled support topics, including “Office Hours” and “Getting Started With” enablement events.
In addition to our Scheduled Learning Widget, Oracle Academy members can design their own CPD learning by adding Oracle Academy full curriculum courses to a learning channel they create in the Oracle Academy Member Hub. The full curriculum have associated CPD credit hours assigned to them, so Oracle Academy faculty members simply identify desired content and add to their custom learning channel to get started!

At Oracle Academy, we understand and value CTE leaders and educators as collaborators and partners. In North America, we engage with hundreds of educational institutions, offering teaching and learning resources to support CTE student success.

Learn more at www.academy.oracle.com.

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

By Stacy Whitehouse in Advance CTE Fall Meeting
Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, curriculum, Sponsor

Advance CTE Fall Meeting Sponsor Blog: Gold Sponsor, ECMC Foundation – Investing in CTE Means Nobody Gets Left Behind

Tuesday, October 4th, 2022

The past few years have brought immense change to the economic mobility landscape. While some Americans experienced record high gains in the stock market, millions more experienced unemployment, eviction, and personal financial setbacks with potentially long-term effects. Bearing the brunt of these economic shocks were people of color and women, groups that have long been excluded from access to economic opportunities.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion is a stated priority for many employers, funders, and policymakers, but one area where investment could fuel broad-based economic mobility is too often overlooked: Career Technical education (CTE).

State CTE leaders are advancing true investments in our diversity by designing economically supportive education and training systems that allow all learners, with their myriad interests and skills, to pursue a career pathway that works for them and their families, while contributing to a thriving economy that benefits all of us.

The process of exploring new careers and developing skillsets that put students closer to their goals is not always straightforward. And for those with limited resources, this process becomes a high stakes decision. By investing in CTE, which provides hands-on training and real-world experience, we can ensure that every student can take a learning journey that’s right for them.

CTE is a priority investment area for ECMC Foundation. Some of our partners lead projects that serve twenty students at a time, while others impact thousands. Building an equitable system that works for all learners means investing in solutions that work for groups large and small. By investing in CTE, in all its many forms, we’re able to support educational experiences tailored to individual passions and provide supports directly responsive to students’ backgrounds and needs.

Despite efforts to better serve underrepresented students in the postsecondary field, too many learners lack access to the education and training opportunities they want and need. This reality is not just seen in student datasets—we can see it in our everyday lives. The agenda for Advance CTE’s Fall Meeting includes sessions that urge us to deeply engage with the needs of rural learners, learners with disabilitiesNative learners, justice-connected learners, and learners needing basic needs supports. Ensuring the needs and experiences of these communities and other underrepresented groups are represented in our priorities and our professional circles is central to our work ahead.

ECMC Foundation supported this event to ensure that discussions during the breakout sessions sustain the integration of supports and visibility for these learner groups in CTE. We thank state CTE leaders across the country for applying the time, energy, and strategic advocacy on behalf of such groups, which will generate the permanent systems change needed to support all learners.

Thank you for bringing your expertise and commitment to the world of CTE. You are not only investing in the diversity of CTE students, but in the diversity of their dreams.

Anna Fontus, Program Officer, ECMC Foundation

Anna Fontus is a Program Officer at ECMC Foundation where she oversees a portfolio of grants centered on innovative approaches to postsecondary CTE including apprenticeships, career oriented associate degree programs, and leadership development. ECMC Foundation accepts and reviews Letters of Inquiry on a rolling basis. Visit https://ecmcfoundation.org/ to learn more!

By Stacy Whitehouse in Advance CTE Fall Meeting
Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, Sponsor

Advance CTE Fall Meeting Sponsor Blog: Diamond Sponsor, Center for Energy Workforce Development – Seeking a Skilled, Diverse Workforce for America’s Clean Energy Future

Monday, October 3rd, 2022

The energy industry powers life. Business, education, healthcare, and even many of our favorite pastimes are made possible by the energy industry. More than six million people work in energy careers in the United States. These men and women are highly trained, highly skilled and in high-demand. Their roles range from future-focused innovators and engineers exploring new ways to harness and store power to skilled tradespeople, who are the backbone of the industry’s operations. The work of these professionals is essential and rewarding. Because of the knowledge and skills that are required, energy employees are well compensated, often earning above national averages. Energy professionals are proudly leading the country’s attainment of climate change goals while maintaining energy reliability, resiliency, safety and affordability.

The industry expects to fill hundreds of thousands of positions in the next few years. Industry growth, retirement by tenured employees, and traditional attrition are opening doors for a new workforce seeking stable employment in an essential industry that offers training, mentoring, and on-the-job professional development experiences. The energy sector seeks to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion for its workforce as it continues to grow.

With so many different jobs in energy, it can be tough to navigate where and how to start a career journey. There are a tremendous number of career pathways available in the skilled trades, for instance. Learners and career explorers often ask how they should prepare themselves. More specifically, they are curious about postsecondary requirements, including opportunities available from local technical schools and apprenticeships, and what’s possible right after high school. The simple answer is all these avenues can lead to successful energy careers. Yet, they each start you in a different place. The industry is equally reliant on those with degrees and those who prefer to learn through on-the-job training and experience.

The Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) is a non-profit organization driven by electric, natural gas, nuclear, and renewable energy companies, trade associations, large contractors, and unions. It also unites strategists from industry, education, government, and communities to ensure the industry balances workforce supply and demand to build the necessary talent pipeline.

We offer several resources to support state CTE leaders in leveraging CTE programs to develop learner experiences and pathways in energy careers. . In addition, some states have a specific energy Career Cluster devoted to preparation for this sector. CTE also provides opportunities to earn stackable certificates, industry-recognized credentials, and degrees as outlined by the Center for Energy Workforce Development’s Get Into Energy website. CEWD also offers a curriculum, Energy Industry Fundamentals, specifically designed to develop the energy workforce of tomorrow and ensure CTE leaders have essential educational tools and resources readily available. 2-3 sentences of what you have worked with a state to do (may be helping them develop a career cluster, aligning energy curriculum with state standards of learning ,etc.

CEWD welcomes you to join us in developing the energy workforce of the future. It starts today!

Missy Henriksen, Executive Director, Center for Energy Workforce Development

By Stacy Whitehouse in Advance CTE Fall Meeting
Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, curriculum, Energy, industry-recognized credentials, Sponsor

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

Thursday, 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

By Stacy Whitehouse in Advance CTE Fall Meeting
Tags: business and industry partnerships, CTE Fall Meeting, industry-recognized credentials

Advance CTE Fall Meeting Sponsor Blog: Gold Sponsor, NOCTI – Navigating Uncertain Times

Friday, 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

By Stacy Whitehouse in Advance CTE Fall Meeting
Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, industry-recognized credentials, microcredentials, prior learning assessments, Sponsor

Making the Case for a Cross-Disciplinary STEM Core

Tuesday, 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.

By admin in Advance CTE Fall Meeting, Resources
Tags: CORD, CTE Fall Meeting, Digital Literacy, STEM

Digital Badges: Professional Recognition for the Modern Workforce

Monday, 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.

By admin in Advance CTE Fall Meeting
Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, Digital badges, iCEV, Industry Certifications, professional development

What Happened to the Men?

Friday, 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.

By admin in Advance CTE Fall Meeting, Resources
Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, NC3T, postsecondary, work-based learning

Industry Certifications: Joining Industry and Education Together

Wednesday, 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.

By admin in Advance CTE Fall Meeting
Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, Industry Certifications, Lincoln Electric

CTE: Learning that Works

Monday, 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]

By admin in Advance CTE Fall Meeting, Resources
Tags: CTE Fall Meeting, Oracle Academy, Perkins

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