Author: acte

Techniques celebrates the conclusion of ACTE’s and Xello’s work on Taking Business to School. The final paper in this series of publication briefs features an innovative collaboration between Washington state’s Vancouver Public Schools (VPS) and TechSmart, a company dedicated to the advancement of computer science education.

Taking Business to School: VPS >amp; TechSmart

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Each of the five Taking Business to School publication briefs, written by workforce policy consultant Meghan Wills, encourages career and technical educators to create strong Read Taking Business to School: Vancouver Public Schools and TechSmart to learn more about strategic business and community partnership development.

High school career and technical education (CTE) programs continue to grow in popularity and number. Even though many business leaders report that high school graduates lack basic, industry-ready skills needed to transition directly into the workforce, education and industry stakeholders agree that there are benefits to high-quality CTE programs.

CTE programs act as a gateway between education and successful, fulfilling careers. And, today, in the wake of the pandemic, there is a greater need than ever for skilled employees. CTE educators are tasked with preparing students for success in a global economy that seems to change course daily. To do so, they must know what educational practices support high-quality CTE programs. Further, they must apply these practices to ensure that CTE students develop necessary skills.

As a policy-driven educator, myself, I set out to explore the perspectives of CTE administrators and industry leaders about which educational practices best prepare CTE students for the workplace. My findings revealed four themes:

• Support systems for CTE
• Preparation for the world of work
• Connections to the world of work
• Advocacy and alliances between CTE programs and industry

The educational practices revealed in my study may offer support for CTE educators who seek to provide students with authentic, engaging work-based learning experiences.

Create a support system.

First, the study participants clarified that creating a support system for students during their education was essential. Many felt it successfully prepared students for the workplace. “I think working alongside an industry partner — literally on the floor with them and not just job shadowing — is invaluable,” quipped one CTE administrator.

Others shared that those supported by industry during high school are more likely to gain employment after graduation. “The goal is to see high school students who want to enter a CTE program can, and that we can give them opportunities to get a job.” Study participants agreed that a strong support system comprised of CTE educators and industry leaders fosters workplace readiness.

Prepare students for the world of work.

Second, CTE programs must be designed and facilitated through real-life experiences. Students benefit from opportunities to see how the real work is done. High-quality CTE curriculum factors in the needs of both the CTE classroom and industry. Therefore, CTE administrators should collaborate with industry leaders and knowledgeable instructors to apply and model expected competencies. By delivering a content-specific curriculum and providing opportunities for CTE students to practice their skills, CTE students will become workforce ready.

Connect students to the world of work.

Work-based learning principles — such as entry and advancement in a career track, meaningful jobs tasks, compensation, and more — help students to understand what the world of work looks like before entering the workforce. In my study, participants shared that they need graduates proficient in technical and employability skills.

For example, when CTE programs make connections to industry needs, students “see a seamless transition from learning to doing.” Fostering this connection supports both students and employers. “Those relationships help CTE stay current with what the industry has and also find out some of their needs,” commented one educator.

Advocate for the value of high-quality CTE.

Finally, educators must do the work to develop industry partnerships and advocate for the value of CTE. An alliance between CTE students and industry partners is mutually beneficial. For example, a student can apply skills they learned in the CTE classroom with guidance from an expert. And the expert potentially secures a well-trained, workplace-ready employee. In my study, I found that the educational practice of advocacy and alliances within CTE programs helps students cultivate important workforce skills.

Meaningful connections between CTE programs and industry partners — built on trust and respect — are the gateway to strong alliances. “A strong connection to industry should help drive the educational aspects of your program.” Participants’ feedback suggests that high-quality CTE with stakeholder support can result in successful career placement for students.

Conclusion

Graduation from a secondary CTE program can provide a positive pathway for students’ lives. My goal was met. I synthesized the participants’ information to understand which educational practices prepare students for the workforce. I confirmed the following: the necessity of a support system for students comprised of knowledgeable instructions and industry experts, a curriculum based on current industry standards, an opportunity for workplace experience, and advocacy and alliances among CTE stakeholders. These educational practices connect students to the world of work.

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Melissa S. Webb, Ph.D. is a graduate of Walden University and specializes in Leadership, Management and Policy. She believes that every student deserves an education beyond the doors of a classroom. And that as a community, we must encourage and engage students in a path of success that suits their desires.

To learn more about high-quality CTE, read Techniques.

COVID-19 revealed a great need to prepare for academic disruption. While the pandemic continues to affect school operations, across the world, additional threats loom: natural disasters, large-scale technological outages, further virus outbreaks and more. The potential for future disruption is real. And given the effects of these disasters on teacher experiences, we seek to better understand how career and technical education (CTE) teachers can be supported in the most trying circumstances.

We spoke with 19 CTE teachers during the Kentucky Association for Career >amp; Technical Education (KACTE) conference in July 2021. Participants were new teachers who completed their first of two induction years during 2020–21. They represented approximately 20% of new, occupation based CTE teachers in Kentucky. Further, participants varied in subject areas, prior work experience, and district location (urban, suburban, rural).

Regardless of background or teaching environment, new CTE teachers experienced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When speaking with these teachers, we noticed several patterns across their experiences. Most frequently, they spoke of the heightened challenges caused by the pandemic. For instance, teachers felt as if the specialized needs of CTE were not considered in administrative decision-making and, on occasion, these policies jeopardized their abilities to comply with standards set by the state or industry. Further complicating this situation, most teachers reported challenges communicating with school leadership. They felt unprepared or confused about expectations. Taken together, these experiences led many CTE teachers to feel like they were not fully integrated members of the community.

At the same time, teachers also reported some positive effects from the pandemic. Although relationships with administrators may have been strained, many of the teachers we spoke with reported feeling heightened connections to the other teachers at their schools. Prior to COVID-19, there was a sharp contrast between teachers who had completed traditional teacher certification — and the accompanying practice of student teaching — and those who had come from industry. But the pandemic had an equalizing effect. That is, because everyone was unsure of how to teach in the new environment, the divide grew more narrow between those who had traditional teacher preparation and those who did not.

Drawing from our conversations with these teachers, we offer five recommendations for not just new CTE teachers, but all educators working during times of academic disruption.

Recommendations for new CTE teachers

Manage your cognitive load.

Our CTE teachers are subject matter experts, but COVID-19 presented a significant distraction. Delivery of the learning materials seemed harder and overwhelming. Notably, many new CTE teachers struggled to translate their extensive occupational knowledge into learning components that could be scaffolded with clear learning goals and outcomes.

To address this, CTE teachers should consider how they manage their cognitive load by mapping out the competencies to be achieved in the course. The process of backwards mapping can help educators visualize their learning goals and how to get there. This includes:

• Understanding the intuition behind the activities
• Developing a set of activities that feed into this larger outcome
• Practicing the lessons and activities
• Gauging how well the student absorbed and can execute the lesson, as well as how they connect the experience to other lessons

For the student to be successful at juggling the many ideas, concepts, processes, and protocols, the CTE teacher is also expected to have those learning components deciphered, outlined, and designed in a meaningful manner for the students.

Identify your multiple bosses.

The CTE teachers in this study realized that preparing students for an occupation was not the sole goal when teaching a CTE course. Students take CTE courses for a variety of reasons, including meeting occupation-specific or state determined graduation requirements. Schools may also have additional requirements, or the local industry may expect graduates to attain certain experiences or learning outcomes. CTE teachers may juggle obligations to the occupation, the local industry, the school, and state graduation requirements. Unlike many other teachers in a school building, CTE teachers have multiple bosses. Identify them, and then work to collaborate with these key stakeholders to ensure expectations and outcomes are clear.

Develop agile and value-based communication >amp; planning styles.

Consistently, CTE teachers reported confusing information, inconsistencies in messaging, insufficient details, and lack of coordination and planning. Adding to those concerns, CTE educators still face a challenging stigma compared to “core” learning experiences. Thus, new CTE teachers should develop agile and value-based communication and planning styles.

Career and technical education teachers model constant environmental changes and operate within constraints. Just like in the workforce! Educators should expand opportunities for awareness and find ways to communicate the value they add to the school. Indeed, occupation-based education offers the advantage of more applied learning. Students may then seek to engage in project-based learning across multiple subjects. A more agile, collaborative approach to communication provides significant opportunities to CTE teachers as they reframe their role in school.

Adopt a continuous learning and improvement mindset.

Walking into a new occupation can raise questions of doubt. And there are various unknowns. Through the teacher induction process, new CTE teachers realized that success would come along with a continuous learning and improvement mindset.

That is, CTE teachers became comfortable not having all the answers. They expanded their networks within their subject matter and beyond. They participated in professional learning communities across the state to support each other. However, the CTE teachers did not always have access to the local industry partners, prior lessons, innovative ways to teach a concept, or information about students. Thus, they realized that they must continue learning to scaffold their knowledge. And, through experience, they learned the value in creating mechanisms to record information for new teachers to build off of in the future.

Engage in self-care.

When we spoke at KACTE, the teachers reported appreciating the socialization process for  reinforcing their needs and well-being. A lot of time and topical focus remained about the students (e.g., trauma informed care, social and emotional learning) and about integration into the school (e.g., occupation-based standards, industry liaisons). But the CTE teachers needed to know that their health and well-being were also important. Their development and socialization were critical to the program, so mentors would check-in with inquiries about the new CTE teachers’ state of mind. The support became less how-to and more inspirational, which proved to be a significant modeling technique for the teachers in their work with students and colleagues.

Conclusion

Although our recommendations are rooted in experiences during the pandemic, they maintain relevance during normal operational periods. We feel that this guidance can help all CTE educators as we prepare teachers and districts to thrive regardless of future academic disruptions.

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Jeffrey C. Sun, J.D., Ph.D., is professor of higher education and law, distinguished university scholar, and director of the SKILLS Collaborative at the University of Louisville.

Heather A. Turner, Ph.D., is director of research and policy for the SKILLS Collaborative at the University of Louisville

Jodi C. Adams, Ph.D. candidate, is a lecturer of CTE and director of the New Teacher Institute.

Techniques publishes content intended to support new CTE teachers — and veteran teachers and administrators, too. Read more.

For many career and technical education (CTE) programs, natural disasters provide real-world learning opportunities. During disaster recovery, students enrolled in CTE programs such as carpentry, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical may learn how new techniques and technology can prevent future infrastructure losses, and how improved building codes enhance community protection. CTE construction trades offer a clear path to volunteerism and rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of natural disasters.

CTE first responder programs such as criminal justice, fire science, and emergency medicine — trade areas primarily tasked to respond after a disaster occurs — are typically unable to assist during a disaster response for safety reasons. Instead, they learn by observing from the sidelines. But what if there was a way for CTE to contribute with more than property recovery? What if there was a way for CTE students to help with life-saving response efforts?

How can these CTE programs safely assist during disaster response?

A first-of-its-kind Criminal Justice and Protective Services (CJPS) CTE program in Connecticut allows students to gain real-time disaster response experiences.

What might our world will look like in 30, 40 or 50 years? What demands might be placed on our society? Sadly, there is significant evidence that rising sea levels, increasingly severe weather, and growing population densities will lead to disasters much worse than those of the past. This is coupled with an aging network of disaster responders, many of whom began their careers after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and are moving toward retirement.

CTE is in the perfect position to train the future generation of disaster-response workers — a rapidly emerging career field — while also helping with disaster response in real-time. Vinal Technical High School’s CJPS program, part of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, is already doing it.

A simple curriculum tweak

Technical skills related to emergency management, specifically on-scene incident command, are foundational for CTE first responder programs. We found that by enhancing this part of the curriculum, students could assist remotely with real-world disaster response efforts.

Through the development of a first-in-the-nation emergency operations center (EOC) at the high school level, Vinal Tech students provide federal response teams with daily open-source intelligence briefings when deployed for disasters. This may sound farfetched, but the model was proven in 2020 when students supported me and my disaster medical assistance team (DMAT) while deployed to the first cruise ship in United States territory identified with a COVID-19 outbreak.

The students’ work during this deployment was so impressive and valuable to deployed responders that the students earned federal-level recognition from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Further, they continued to assist my team during subsequent pandemic response missions around the country.

Leverage the power of CTE students on the internet.

Data and intelligence collection practices have changed significantly in the last 20 years with advances in technology. Information gathering that used to require rooms full of professionals on telephones can now be done by a few students on their devices. And in some cases, these students perform better than their less-computer-savvy professional counterparts.

Power outages, flights, weather and more can all be tracked with the click of a mouse. This type of information is now updated online before being disseminated by word of mouth. In fact, in many instances, people post pictures of disaster damage online before reaching out for assistance.

This is where CTE students can help. In the wake of a disaster, first responders stay busy securing locations, setting up temporary hospitals and treating patients. They don’t always have time to search the vast resources of the internet. Secondary CTE programs can make a real difference in the future of disaster response. Vinal Technical High School’s CJPS program essentially doubled the size of my disaster medical response team. And that allows us all to focus on saving more patient lives.

An open model for disaster response education

We began practicing portions of our curriculum with made-up disaster scenarios. And we experimented with what information might be useful for “boots-on-the-ground” responders. For example, students tracked a lightning storm as it approached a disaster site. We initially envisioned my DMAT deployments as “shadow” opportunities for students to use their classroom EOC. But when my first deployment came, we realized that the students’ work was legitimately valuable to the response effort.

Before my DMAT landed in California for the cruise ship response, we received comprehensive briefing packets from the student led EOC containing intelligence critical to our mission. The first packet was 26 pages long and included everything from ship floor plans and local weather forecasts to local radio frequency lists and medical center bed counts — and all with source links — something team command staff typically spends the first few hours to days compiling!

The students improved their product every day. And it was a huge morale boost to my team. We were actively in the thoughts of — and being supported by — our home community. When school was closed due to COVID-19, CJPS students continued their work without the assistance of instructors to ensure delivery of these vital briefings.

The students went on to assist my team a second time when deployed to Wyoming. And, again, they earned great praise from responders for their work while making valuable connections and gaining real-world CTE experience. They even surprised us by collaborating with a local restaurant to organize a Thanksgiving dinner!

Get started.

Imagine how much stronger our nation’s disaster response framework could be as we head into an unknown future if every response team was supported in this manner by their local CTE program. That is our motivation for making this an open model for any program to use. The steps to get started are simple:

1. Add an EOC simulation to your program’s emergency management portion of the curriculum using our model and templates.
2. Connect with a local disaster response team.
3. Practice.

Visit our website to find links, templates and examples of student work. Please use these resources to get your program started and build upon them. We hope that by building a network of these programs nationwide we can aid in response efforts, better prepare students for these careers, and help your family when they need it.

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David Cruickshank started his career as an EMT responding to 9/11 and has since responded to major disasters throughout the United States and Puerto Rico as part of the National Disaster Medical System. He retired several years ago from a diverse career in law enforcement to develop and lead the program discussed in this essay as a CTE instructor.

It is no secret that employers in the U.S. are facing severe workforce shortages of entry-level workers in all sectors of manufacturing. Advanced manufacturing companies feel this strongly as they find that applicants don’t possess the foundational skills to perform complex robot operation tasks. The rapid expansion of digital technologies in manufacturing makes solving this challenge even more difficult, especially for the robotics industry that is an active user of those technologies

How can CTE solve workforce shortages in robotics?

Career and technical education (CTE) may begin to solve workforce shortages by creating a pipeline of potential candidates with the right skills. Two national leaders in the certification of advanced manufacturing technicians have teamed up to develop a solution. The Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) and FANUC America — a provider of automation products — are working together to create a career pathway for emerging robotics technician using stackable credentials.

Participants transition from completion of an MSSC certified production technician (CPT) certification into a FANUC industry training and certification program. The stackability of their respective, industry-recognized certifications presents a viable solution to address acute workforce shortages in robotics across the country.

“The collaboration between FANUC and MSSC will provide a major benefit to employers looking to fill robotics and CNC technical positions,” said Paul Aiello, executive director of education at FANUC America. “We look forward to incorporating the MSSC foundational CPT certification program into our robotics and CNC operator training pathways. And we will encourage our customers to use the CPT certifications as part of their employee training.”

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Technological advances drive progress in education.

MSSC recently upgraded its signature CPT program to include a fundamental understanding of Industry 4.0 technologies, which include:

• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• 5G
• 3D printing/ Additive manufacturing
• Industrial internet of things (IIOT)
• Data analytics
• Autonomous robots
• Augmented reality
• Nanomanufacturing
• Advanced materials

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Further, future manufacturing production technicians learn how Industry 4.0 technology can help improve factory floor performance. MSSC’s goal is to ensure that all production technicians understand the basics of these technologies, so that they can adjust and upskill as necessary.

FANUC offers Industry 4.0 Connected Smart Manufacturing™ occupational pathways certifications for exciting careers in robotics and automation. Students and job seekers alike align on a pathway to become advanced automation operators, technicians, systems integration specialists and/or engineers.  Along the journey, the skills acquired also align with the needs of employers looking for highly skilled individuals.

Industry-recognized certifications streamline workforce training.

Both organizations offer their respective certification assessments through NOCTI/Nocti Business Solutions (NBS). Following international quality standards for personnel certification (ISO 17024). NOCTI/NBS developed and validated the end-of-course assessments for both FANUC and MSSC to certify their technicians. This partnership creates a streamlined approach for schools and industry partners when administering the certifications.

“Given the close fit between these FANUC and MSSC Certifications, we will encourage our entire nationwide network to use both certifications to prepare individuals to build a robust robotics operation workforce,” commented Neil Reddy, CEO of MSSC. “Global manufacturing’s digital transformation requires the U.S. to build a highly competitive, next-generation workforce capable of keeping pace with technological change.”

The MSSC-FANUC collaboration exemplifies one solution that can help U.S. manufacturers meet the challenge of workforce shortages. By developing stackable pathways, skills development can begin in high school and provide numerous opportunities for career success.

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Anne Gielczyk is vice president of Nocti Business Solutions.

Paul Aiello is executive director of education at FANUC America.

Neil Reddy is CEO of the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council.

Read Techniques to learn more about how CTE can help solve workforce shortages.