Trends+in+CTAE

Closing the Skills Gap- CTAE in High School by Marcus Stevens

Overview:

Vocational education has been a topic of discussion since the early 1900s in the United States. The question still remains as to what topics should be taught to our secondary education students. What should be the role of public schools and the role of industry when it comes to preparing our young people for careers? The United States government has been reviewing this topic for over 100 years as they compete more and more with other nations as globalization makes us more vulnerable to changes and decisions made by other countries. A text book by Holmes Beckwith, German Industrial Education and its Lessons for the United States published in 1913, supports the idea that “the main task of practical instruction in industry is best fulfilled by employers” (Beckwith, p. 139). It seems that society needs to study this question and discuss it openly to determine the best methods of education for our young people.

In a democratic republic, the government should be making decisions with the best interest of its citizens in mind. Having a healthy and strong society depends on many factors such as the government’s role in people’s lives, the decisions and effects of corporations, the controls and mediation of interactions between other countries and the checks and balances for our diverse systems. One role of our public education system and our colleges and universities is to cater to employers and work to provide graduates that have the ready skills to perform a job (Cappelli, p. 254). Vocational programs of the past may have included home economics, wood working, and auto mechanics, but the programs of today called CTAE (Career Technical Agriculture Education) provides many options to students. According to the CTAE Annual Report 2011, the business and industry communities are benefited since “the CTAE career cluster pathways are aligned to their workforce needs” (CTAE Annual Report, p. 1). CTAE advocates suggest that real world applications and meaning are brought to the student to provide motivation to learn advanced academics that apply to their career choices. The CTAE report also brags that the student choices for “pathways promote critical thinking and problem solving -- important skills for our nation’s future leaders” (CTAE Annual Report, p. 1).



Government policies seem to sway to and fro regarding the desired focus of secondary education. “The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 provided administrative and financial support” to match student skills and employer requirements (Cappelli, p. 255). In the 2000s, the skills gap concern shifted from general work place skills “to academic skills associated with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, particularly four-year college degrees” (Cappelli, p. 257).

According to Jean M. Evans Davilla in a commentary piece in Education Week from 2014, CTAE programs may have an “uncertain future” as budget priorities shift (p. 1). Davilla says that it is very important that the CTAE programs remain up-to-date with state of the art equipment and facilities to keep CTAE programs successful in our high schools (p. 1). Some stress that it is an obligation of education leaders to promote the options of the CTAE pathways and help change the view that CTAE is only for students from low socioeconomic status. “Due to the nature of CTE and the stigma…more affluent students may not self-select to be a part of the CTE environment” (Parker, p. 57).



Trend or Issue?

CTAE programs are an issue that is trending, or they are a trend that is at issue. Take your pick. As mentioned previously, vocational education has been discussed in some way, shape, or form for over a century. Currently, the state of Georgia touts its CTAE program through the “CTAE Annual Report” each year. In the 2014 report, Richard Woods, Georgia's School Superintendent, states “Georgia’s CTAE offerings are aligned to workforce needs, they are transforming regional economies as well as student outcomes” (Annual Report, 2014 preface). This speaks to an initiative that has begun to be addressed by something called the Georgia Skills Roadshow Initiative. “Business and industry in Georgia and in the nation are facing serious challenges of not being able to find skilled workers to fill their open positions. Thousands of jobs remain unfilled due in part to the “skills gap” in Georgia and millions nationwide” (Roadshow, 2016). A quick review of job search website careerbuilder.com’s 2016 list of the “Most In-Demand Jobs for 2016” reveals that many of the 17 CTAE program areas will be beneficial to today’s graduates (Career Builder, 2016). These program areas have increased from the eight that were available back in the 2006-2007 school year, as reported in that year’s annual report (Annual Report, 2007, p.3).

Now that we see that CTAE is a trend, having been in Georgia’s schools and in the public education system for quite some time we should also understand that there is also an issue involved, since the benefits of the programs are still unclear. In the 2014 Annual CTAE Report Barbara M. Wall, Ed.D. Director of Career, Technical and Agricultural Education shares that:

Industry credentials earned by high school students were 18,352 (43% increase from previous year). Membership was increased from last year in these specific CTSOs: Health Occupations Students of America (17%), Future Business Leaders of America (10%), Future Farmers of America (8%), and Distributive Education Club of America (2%). In FY 14, a total of 10,001 students participated in postsecondary options and earned college credits (37% increase from previous year) (Annual Report, 2014 p.1).

Also, at 88.9%, the graduation rate among students in these programs is better than the average high school student according to a recent press release on the Georgia Department of Education Website, “Georgia’s 2015 high school graduation rate rose significantly, from 72.5 percent in 2014 to 78.8 percent in 2015. This represents the fourth straight increase in the state’s graduation rate” (GA Doe, 2015).

These statistics are impressive. They lead one to believe that more students are gaining knowledge and skills needed to enter the workforce ready to earn a living wage upon graduation, or pursue a higher certification with the required skillset in hand and some credits under their belt. These statistics also lead one to understand that more students are participating in these programs and obtaining more benefits from them. When compared to the 2007 Annual report data however you can see that there is a decrease in participation in these programs. The actual percent of students considered to be concentrating (taking more than three CTAE classes) on CTAE curriculum has also decreased by 5% (Annual Report 2014, p.2; Annual Report 2007, p.2). We also know that the unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds has not significantly varied from that of the general population, positively or negatively over the past decade (BLS, 2015). This information may lead us to wonder if these programs, and the money spent on them, are actually as beneficial as they are made out to be.

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Annotated Bibliography

Beckwith, H. (1913). German industrial education and its lessons for the United States. Washington: G.P.O.

CTAE Annual Report 2007 (Rep.). (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2016, from Georgia Department of Education website: http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/CTAE/Documents/CTAE-Annual-Report-2007.pdf

CTAE Annual Report 2011 (Rep.). (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2016, from Georgia Department of Education website: http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/CTAE/Documents/CTAE-Annual-Report-2011.pdf

CTAE Annual Report 2014 (Rep.). (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2016, from Georgia Department of Education website: http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/CTAE/Documents/CTAE-Annual-Report-2014.pdf

Cappelli, P. H. (2015). Skill Gaps, Skill Shortages, and Skill Mismatches: Evidence and Arguments for the United States. ILR Review, 68(2), 251-290. doi:10.1177/0019793914564961

Claus-Nix, M. (n.d.). Georgia Skills Roadshow Initiative. Retrieved June 03, 2016, from http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Curriculum-and-Instruction/Pages/Georgia-Skills-Road-Show-Initiative.aspx

Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject. (n.d.). Retrieved June 03, 2016, from http://www.bls.gov/data/#unemployment

Evans Davilla, J. M. (2014, March 12). Expanding Definitions of Career Readiness. Education Week, 33(24), 28-29. Retrieved June 3, 2016, from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/03/12/24davila.h33.html

Hartley, D. (2015, December 3). These are the most in-demand jobs for 2016. Retrieved June 03, 2016, from http://advice.careerbuilder.com/posts/these-are-the-most-indemand-jobs-for-2016

Parker, A. J. (2011, December). CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND WORKPLACE READINESS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia, 2011). Retrieved June 3, 2016, from https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/parker_amy_j_201112_edd.pdf

Georgia Department of Education, Communications Office. (2015, November 9). ​Georgia's graduation rate increases significantly [Press release]. Retrieved June 3, 2016, from https://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/communications/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?PressView=default&pid=395