What Career Technical School Can Do for You! Presented by Group Four: Jessica Brown, Noah Rocker, and Melissa Shields February 2009

Families need to be more stable, with job readiness skills that will prepare them for a job that will take their family through retirement. What is the percentage of working families that are lower income? What is percentage of lower-income families that have a checking account with a minimum of $300? What is the percentage of female head of household homeless living in poverty with children? What is the percentage of married-couple household living in poverty with children? What is the percentage of 0-18 children living in poverty? What is the percent of elderly (65+) living in poverty? What is the percent of homeless?

What is the percent of working families that are lower income?

What is the percent of lower-income families that have a checking or savings account with a minimum of $300?

What is the percent of female head of household homeless living in poverty with children?

What is the percent of Married-Couple Household Living in Poverty with Children?

What is the percent of 0-18 children living in poverty?

What is the percent of elderly (65+) living in poverty?

What is the percent of homeless? Statistics were found at:

What are the questions we should be asking ourselves: What is the problem we are trying to solve? Change the negative perception of vocational schools. Create easier pathways for interested students to enter and finish vocational/technical coursework. What barriers do we face in solving this problem? We face negative connotations of vocational schools and technical trades. We need innovative instructors to attract top students. We also need educators and parents embracing the benefits of vocational/technical studies. What assets do we need to solve the problems? We need innovative instructors using 21st Century technologies that appeal to the “millennials.” We need school systems “buying in” and investigating a paradigm shift in the way students, teachers, and parents perceive vocational/technical studies. We need the community to embrace this challenge. What are the strategies and/or promising practices that we need to implement? The community should be informed about advances and financial benefits of vocational trades. Local businesses should offer scholarships and contracts for interested students (i.e. two-year contracts in exchange for scholarship). We need to begin educating students as early as kindergarten about the advantages of technical trades.

More questions we should be asking ourselves: What measures will be used to access the impact? Use enrollment in vocational studies in high school and the Career Technical Center at Gadsden State Community College. Graduation rates will also help us measure. Measure the job openings for mechanics and other technical careers. Use formal and informal assessments via surveys and interviews. What is the biggest need in in vocational training? The biggest need right now in vocational training is money. Schools are receiving less and less due to proration. More teachers and equipment are needed. Support from the community and area middle/high schools are also important. What are the barriers to serving more students? Diversity of classes and larger classrooms are needed. Necessary equipment and technologies can be expensive. What stops students from entering the Career Technical School? They think they must have a high school diploma. They think Career Technical School is expensive. Parents are not supportive of the program. They believe the program is too lengthy. How can you get more students into the technical program? Open Houses should be used to explain to the parents that the program has great job opportunities with high pay incentives. Advertising that a person who enrolls in the technical school can finish in a short amount of time will also be beneficial. Students with GED’s may participate in the programs. Call for a town-hall type meeting where different people involved present their proposal for the next steps. Expand the reach of the Career Tech teachers. Not only should they reach out to students, but they should also reach out to the parents through fairs or conferences.