CTE: Education and Workforce Challenges Janet B. Bray, CAE Executive Director Association for Career and Technical Education

Global Competition The 25% of the population in China with the highest IQ’s is greater than the total population of North America In India, it’s the top 28% In 2002, 59% of all degrees awarded in China were in engineering and physical science In the United States it was 32% China has more honors kids than we have kids Asia Rising: China and Industry world’s largest economy

Emerging Labor Market The top 10 in-demand jobs predicted for 2010 didn’t exist in % of the fastest-growing jobs will require an education beyond high school 49 of 50 highest paying occupations require a college degree or higher Over the past 10 years, jobs requiring science and engineering skills increased 51%

U.S. Demographics Over 24 million people are expected to leave the labor force by 2010 By 2008, it is expected that 10 million more jobs will be available than workers to fill them Between 2010 and 2025, up to 95 million Baby Boomers will leave the U.S. workforce or change work focus Only 40 million Gen X’ers and Y’ers will be available to replace them The replacement workers lack the skills and competencies of the retirees.

U.S. Workforce Challenges In a survey of US manufacturers, 90% of employers reported moderate to sever shortages of skilled workers Over 300,000 skilled IT jobs have gone unfilled over the last decade because on no qualified applicants Wish list of skills required to meet future needs  Technical skills  Strong computer skills

U.S. Education Challenge The U.S. high school graduation rate is 17 th internationally – with a 73% graduation rate One third of all high school students don’t graduate on time The U.S. college graduation rate is 14 th internationally – with a 66% graduation rate Among people 18-24, the U.S. ranks 5 th internationally in college enrollment with 35% of people attending college

U.S. Education Challenge In urban school districts 50-60% of students drop out of high school Up to 55% of college freshmen must enroll in remedial courses in reading, writing and mathematics One in four freshman at 4 year colleges fail to return to school for a sophomore year One in two freshman in community colleges fail to return

U.S. Education Challenge 93% US teens used Internet in % created content on Internet – up from 57% in 2004 Social networking Sites Students Disengaged

Workforce Readiness Over 400 employers surveyed rated the workforce readiness of new workforce entrants as deficient  42% of high school grad & GED  11% of two-yr college grads  9% of four-yr college grads

The Role of CTE CTE should serve three purposes at the high school level:  Support students in the acquisition of rigorous core knowledge, skills, habits and attitudes needed for success in postsecondary education and the high-skilled workplace;  Engage students in specific career-related learning experiences that equip them to make well-informed decisions about further education and training and employment opportunities; and,  Prepare students who may choose to enter the workforce directly after high school with a level of skills and knowledge in a particular career area that will be valued in the marketplace.

CTE Addressing Needs CTE concentrators participated in more rigorous academic coursework and are taking more and higher level math and science. A year of technically oriented coursework at a community college increased the earnings of men by 14% and women by 29%.

A ratio of 1 CTE class for every 2 academic classes was shown to minimize the risk of students dropping out. CTE concentrators were more likely than their general peers to obtain a degree or certificate within 2 years. PERKINS AND CTE IS LEADING THE WAY! CTE Addressing Needs

Every individual will be part of the workforce at some time in their life. CTE prepares them for this time! Without CTE, the infrastructure of the US economy will fall apart!

Improved integration of academic and CTE instruction Focus on high skill, high wage, high demand occupations Increased emphasis on achievement of a degree, certificate or credential Change does not mean the past was wrong….. The world is different today and will be different tomorrow! CTE Improvements

ACTE is advocating for clearly focusing American high schools on the goal of preparing EVERY student for full participation in a spectrum of college opportunities, meaningful work, career advancement, and active citizenship. Recommendations for Change

ISSUES and CHALLENGES Teacher/Administrator Shortages  Anticipated scope of retirements  Fewer teacher education programs  Recruitment and retention  Defining “highly qualified” CTE teacher Integration of Academics  What is integration?  Alignment of CTE content with academic content  Teacher qualifications – who teaches?

STEM Agenda Career Clusters Initiative Accountability Requirements  Evaluating effectiveness of CTE  Dropout prevention/recovery  21st Century Skills Assessment  Aligning with NCLB accountability  Differentiating CTE students in the workplace  Following students beyond high school ISSUES and CHALLENGES

ACTE Resources Issue Briefs Position Papers Promising Programs and Practices Web page Research Clearinghouse Web page Research Guide Action Alerts State Profiles

In Conclusion… It will be a tragic miscalculation to pit academic course-taking against access to rigorous career-oriented and interest-based programs. Students need to be taught in a way that is rigorous, relevant to their areas of personal interest and career aspirations, and that creates a supportive environment of relationships. None of the proposed redesign functions will work unless there is a sense of shared accountability at the school level for raising the performance of every student. Creating a positive high school environment that emphasizes rigor, relevance, and relationships requires a talented and committed leadership team!

Contact Us Association for Career and Technical Education 1410 King Street Alexandria, VA (800) or (703)