ACTE Releases Issue Brief Highlighting CTE, Career Guidance Brings Student Success
News Date: December 04, 2008
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) released a new issue brief today, entitled “Career and Technical Education’s Role in Career Guidance,” that explores the leading role career and technical education (CTE) plays in the area of career guidance and improving student success through career-development services. Although there are counseling structures in place within the educational system, challenges, including an average student/counselor ratio of 479 to 1, indicate that more needs to be done to provide students with strong career guidance and career development services.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 15.6 million new jobs will be added to the labor force between 2006 to 2016, with many of the new jobs requiring higher communication, math, technology and employability skills. Although there will be an increase in demand for jobs, the report “Decisions Without Direction” states that more than half of high school students say no one in their school has been helpful in advising on career options and opportunities to further their education. CTE programs have grown into a model of school reform by emphasizing career clusters and career pathways as a way to guide young people through the career decision-making process. CTE also engages students through personalized and applied learning that is relevant and personal.
A few examples featured in the issue brief include:
- Utah’s Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance program has created a Student Education Occupation Plan, which allows students and counselors to organize and promote student accomplishments and helps students, parents, teachers and counselors plan, monitor and manage education and career development in middle and high schools.
- AchieveTexas, a model state initiative that replaces more traditional CTE programs with a new academic-CTE system based on the 16 federally defined career clusters, helps schools rearrange their instructional programs to provide students and parents a better understanding of education and how it applies to career choices.
- McCormick High School in McCormick, SC implemented a Career Choices curriculum that helps students develop a personalized, career-inclusive 10-year education plan, outlining yearly qualitative goals and objectives for education, work, financial and lifestyle choices. After the first year of the program, the school received one of two excellent ratings in the entire state in its category, and, in the second year of the program, the school had the fourth-highest graduation rate.
“CTE programs play an integral part of a successful career guidance program because it provides a framework for career exploration, engages students in personalized and applied learning, and ensures all students career development at all levels of education and career fields,” said ACTE Executive Director Jan Bray. “It’s important to provide students with counseling services and the relevant, rigorous education programs that integrate academics, technical, employability and career decision-making skills to ensure students are prepared to enter their chosen career.”
For more information or to obtain a copy of the issue brief, please visit www.acteonline.org/uploadedFiles/Publications_and_Online_Media/files/Guidance_issuebrief.pdf.
About ACTE
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. It provides advocacy, public awareness and access to information, professional development and tools that enable members to be successful and effective leaders. Founded in 1926, ACTE has more than 29,000 members including teachers, counselors and administrators at the middle school, high school and postsecondary levels.
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