Career Education in American Public Schools Essay

Problem Statement How should the United States government revitalize career and technical education (CTE) to meet 21st century needs, including collaboration and partnership between K-12 public education and the workforce? Background The need for a national career education program is driven by a few principles. Firstly, CTE can help to keep students in school. In 2011, seven percent of American students dropped out of high school (â€Å"Dropout rates†, n.d.). CTE programs help to keep students in school because they connect what students are learning to the outside world, giving students a purpose and motivation for finishing school. They also tend to focus more on hands on learning, which can appeal to a different style of learner than†¦show more content†¦These are all industries that can offer career training in public K-12 schools. CTE can either aid high school graduates in getting jobs in better fields or ensure that graduates start in higher positions within those fields. Most students with only a high school diploma join the work world in an unskilled profession, and only about 15% have a managerial or professional position (Carnevale, Smith, Strohl, 2011). CTE can increase the nu mber of high school graduates who are able to fulfill midlevel or manager level positions, jobs that provide a living wage and more job satisfaction. In his most recent State of the Union address, President Barack Obama called for job training that does not just help a young person get a job, but put them on a path so that they have a career for life (Obama, 2014). CTE also provides employers with a workforce that is either trained when they leave high school with the specific skills necessary for their jobs, or has been inspired to attain post-secondary education in their fields. In 1996, when the Perkins Act was renewed, only 20% of jobs needed a bachelor’s degree or higher, but many of them still required some amount of post-secondary education or training (â€Å"Carl D. Perkins†¦,† 2012). In the near future, however, Carnevale et al. (2011) have predicted that 86% of youth will need to attend some post-secondary education by 2025 to be marketable in the wor kforce. However, most high school graduates areShow MoreRelatedThe Importance of Higher Education768 Words   |  4 PagesThe Importance of Higher Education | In the view of most Americans, a college education has now taken on the importance that a high school education had in the past, and has become a necessary ingredient for a good job and comfortable lifestyle. This value is shared even more widely among African-American and Hispanic parents.* * 84% say that it is extremely (37%) or very (47%) important to have a college degree in order to get ahead.1 * 87% strongly (68%) or somewhat (19%) agree thatRead MoreThe Importance Of Funding The Near Future801 Words   |  4 Pagesgovernment like the education system. 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