I read a very intersting artical today that reminded me of the difference we are making in our graduates lives at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center. ”Beyond Home Ec: Vocational Programs Are a Good Investment” at http://www.aei.org/article/104299 reminds us that we are preparing our students for SUCCESS! Our Career Technical Education (CTE) progrms offer high demand job opportunites and it is a huge bonus that the training is relatively short-term compared to two and four year post secondary institutions. Shorter training means less cost in the end because students are able to come out of our programs with less loan debt. Our graduates have a headstart in time, finances and career outlook.
I pulled a few highlights of this artical just for your enjoyment!
“Every time the economy goes south, we hear from the Harvard-educated bartender, the taxi driver with a master’s degree in art history, or the philosophy major who’s moved back in with his parents, shipping out résumé after fruitless résumé………..We told you that the way to get ahead in America was to get educated. You did it. And now you find yourself in the same place, but buried under debt……Some of these talented people would no doubt have been better served by an education more directly tied to the jobs they so desperately need.”
“employment projections suggest that prioritizing only bachelor’s-degree production is a mistake.”
“For post-secondary students, evidence is mounting that the payoff for occupational-certificate programs of at least one year can be quite large–often outweighing the benefits of an associate or bachelor’s degree.”
“it should not be a surprise that innovative Career Technical Education (CTE) programs have proven successful. They teach practical, marketable skills and are tightly linked to employer demand in high-growth industries. Many of them feature a heavy dose of on-the-job training and apprenticeships that introduce students to local employers and provide them with the personal relationships that often underlie the labor market.”
“Most are focused on preparing students for such growing industries as health care, information technology, and engineering. Most important, they are closely linked to local employers.”
“With some initiative and imagination, policymakers and leaders in the private sector can transform CTE from an educational backwater into an engine of our economic recovery.”
