Students Find New Pathways
From Campus to Career
Written By Kimberly Beare, PIO, Morgan Hill Unified School District
The traditional notion of vocational school has given way to Career and Technical Education( CTE). Today’ s students need education pathways that lead to fulfilling careers in a global economy driven by tech innovation. CTE goes above and beyond vocational education and training to give students options that are relevant to their needs and goals going forward.
Data from the U. S. Department of Education and other sources show that the integration of CTE into coursework leads to higher secondary school graduation rates, industry certifications, postsecondary education, and ultimately, the high-demand jobs of the 21st century workforce.
CTE incorporates work-based learning that helps students apply classroom learning in virtual workplace settings, allowing them to explore industries and roles while developing a critical understanding of the work environment.
In 2016, Morgan Hill Unified School District doubled down on its commitment to ensure that every student who graduates from its high schools has a career path. In less than a year the school district’ s Director of CTE, Heather Nursement, has brought the program and its benefits into focus. High school CTE courses have been aligned with local / regional industry job market demands and postsecondary options.
We need to engage our high school students and make the campus-to-career experience more meaningful for them,” Nursement said.“ For every course requirement, students ask:‘ Why do I need to learn this?’ With a solid CTE program, they can see a clear path from high school studies to graduation to a well-paying job.”
The U. S. Department of Education states that the average high school graduation rate for students concentrating in CTE programs is 93 percent— a significant statistic that proves when students can see the path and the reward, they are more motivated and likely to succeed.
Meanwhile, regional business and industry need to close the gap between job creation and graduates with the knowledge and skills to fill those jobs. For example, more than 80 percent of manufacturers report that talent shortages are impacting their ability to meet market demand. With this in mind, Nursement is working with the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce to explore job shadowing and internship opportunities for CTE students. The district is also working with Gavilan Community College in offering students dual enrollment courses.
As for the passion she brings to this work, Nursement said,“ I was a CTE student in high school, attended community college, and went on to graduate from the California State University system before becoming a CTE teacher. I continued the coursework from my high school CTE program while earning my bachelor’ s and master’ s degrees and my teaching credentials. As a product of CTE I believe wholeheartedly that it works!”
To learn more, contact Heather Nursement, MHUSD Director of CTE, at nursementh @ mhusd. org or 408-201- 6069.
CTE programs prepare students for college and careers: 1
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The top 3 SKILLS and experiences that students report gaining in their CTE classes are:
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More than 88 percent of CTE students are planning to continue on to postsecondary education.
SKILLS to help them get jobs in the future
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES to help them understand academic classes
6 in 10 students are planning to pursue a career related to the CTE area they are exploring in high school.
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The chance to work as PART OF A TEAM
Almost 1 / 3 of CTE students have the opportunity to earn college credit and / or an industry certification through CTE.
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Source: My College Options ® / ACTE research study( 2016). National sample includes 40,192 high school CTE students.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN MAY / JUNE 2017 gmhtoday. com
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