Notes on Congressional Black Caucus Workshop: Removing the Stigma of Career Technical Education and Supporting Diverse High Skilled Jobs
By: Joseph Green III
Among the several noteworthy workshops at the 2018 Congressional Black Caucus Conference, I was pleased to attend and hear the several insights and perspectives from seven of the nation’s leading educators and businesspersons regarding the stigma of Career Technical Education (CTE) programs in secondary and post-secondary schools, especially at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
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On July 31st, President Trump signed into law funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education program (Perkins V) at $1.3 billion annually for five years. The program will benefit secondary and post-secondary students across the country, providing on-the-job training in various fields including cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare. With an emphasis on apprenticeship and work-study programs, CTE programs hold a unique opportunity for high school and college students to pursue careers through iterate and progressive exposure to professionals and placement in internships and apprenticeships. These work-based learning experiences provide a head start to a student’s career interest and also build relationships with potential employers and career mentors to fill jobs that meet the critical labor needs in our local and national workforce.
Panelist Dr. Tony Summers, the Chief Community College Officer at the University of the District of Columbia (an HBCU), spoke about how the Perkins V legislation would affect post-secondary students and help expand more apprenticeship training opportunities in the District. Funding under Perkins V now supports training returning citizens and post-secondary students who are still taking remedial mathematics at UDC-CC, which is critical in ensuring students will pass certain license and certification programs. One of the apprenticeship partnership programs Dr. Summers noted was PEPCO’s “Quick Path to Energy,” which recruits and trains UDC-CC students into well-paying, entry level jobs starting at $60,000. Under this program, District residents 20 and over will now have the opportunity to join a workforce training program that will prepare them for employment in the utilities industry. The DC Quick Path to Energy Program will prepare UDC-CC students and Washington DC residents to take the Construction and Skilled Trades (CAST) examination. At the end of the program, successful participants will have the opportunity to interview for jobs with PEPCO and other utility companies. To date, 75 UDC-CC students have been hired by PEPCO as apprentices.
CTE programs and apprenticeship training are not only a viable options for students seeking post-secondary trainings, but critical in meeting industry demands in the District, especially in the public utilities sector. At the secondary level, some CTE programs offer a project-based curriculum, which encourages students to use REVIT autoCAD principles in CTE projects, and potentially prepares them for jobs in the utility industry.
Dr. Irene Ricks, from Keystone Platform of Colorado, noted that the National Medical Association reports that the number of Black MDs are declining, although HBCUs graduate the most Black scientists in the country. In effort to reverse this declining trend, Ricks asked the audience, “How can we find out what students are really interested in?” and “How can we get students excited about science again?” CTE programs and project-based learning are the 21st century answers for many DC students, because students must use more than their listening and memory skills to learn. They must write, design and organize their thoughts on paper and speaking before their peers and potential employers. They must learn what soft skills are to help them acclimate into acceptable work habit culture. They must value the principles they learn in math, science and technology by passing industry-wide assessments for certification.
Finally, as parents and educators, we must redesign the instructional model, so that students don’t feel like they are on an assembly line, filling their classroom schedule simply to meet high school credit requirements, but aspire to master a skill that has proven value in the marketplace and in their lives. This mindset helps deconstruct the stigma associated with CTE programs. The CTE apprenticeship model is working with UDC-CC and PEPCO. Perhaps the model will also work with the District’s other public utility companies too. For more information about UDC-CC’s workforce development programs, click here.
