Dive Brief:
- Vocational education and career readiness is now being highlighted in many classrooms as schools look to combine technical training with academics.
- Some career education programs result in certificates, or special diplomas, to help potential employers understand the technical skills students have learned.
- Last year, an education reform bill included career and technical education in the definition of a well-rounded K-12 education; lawmakers will reportedly strengthen the law, which currently provides over $1 billion for job training.
Dive Insight:
In some states, politicians are already taking up the cause of advancing tech education. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker proposed $75 million for expanding career and technical education over five years, and in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has devoted $21 million towards a technology high school model. Foundations like the James Irvine Foundation have also donated significant amounts of money towards tech learning.
In California, two grant programs, the Career Pathways Trust and the Career Technical Education Incentive Grants, both provide partnerships and collaboration between CTE programs and higher education. The Graduation Alliance also recently announced a collaboration to offer the WorkKeys job skill tests and the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) as part of a diploma program.