Giving Compass' Take:

• The career and technical education industry is re-evaluating how best to prepare students for the future workforce.  Incorporating certification programs that are already backed by employers is a step in the right direction. 

•  How will CTE affect the education landscape? How accessible is this type of learning?

• Read about the importance of CTE programs and why they should be in more schools. 

As both the economy and our classrooms continue adapting to a technology-rich world, they are becoming more skills-driven than ever before. This shift has caused the Career and Technical Education (CTE) industry to re-examine how best to prepare students with the necessary skills for their careers.

K-12 schools aim to equip students with the skills needed to succeed in a 21st-century economy, and CTE has a new opportunity to become further integrated in core curricula, which would give students hands-on skills in the classroom before they walk into their first interview.

CTE programs equip students with the tangible skills sought by industry leaders to address the widening skills gap and evolving workforce. One of the most impactful benefits CTE can provide is industry-backed certifications. These certification programs can coincide with regular coursework and validate the student’s mastery of concepts with each program.

Through certification programs, a student is able to learn skills that companies are looking for and showcase that expertise to potential employers. The certification can help students stand out in an increasingly crowded pool of applicants and start their career in the right direction.

Read more about the benefits of CTE programs by Dusty Moore at Getting Smart