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The Virginia Association for Career
and Technical Education (VACTE) provides
leadership in developing an educated,
prepared, adaptable and competitive
workforce. Its membership consists of
educators, business partners, parents, and
others committed to expanding opportunities
for Career and Technical Education (CTE).
CTE: Learning that Works for Virginia
prepares students to be college and career
ready. CTE equips students with core academic skills and the ability to
apply those skills to concrete situations in order to function competitively
in the workplace and in routine daily activities. CTE is at the forefront
of preparing students with employability skills (such as critical thinking
and responsibility) that are essential in any career area, and job-specific,
technical skills to a specific career pathway.
CTE prepares students for many of the jobs in Virginia which are
forecast to experience the fastest growth in the coming years. According
to theVirginia Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical
Education Services, the large percentage of jobs require some type of
postsecondary education or training, currently estimated at 63 percent of
all jobs in the United States. Given this information, it is critical that high
school graduates leave with the knowledge and skills needed to continue
their education or other career options and have a choice in their future.
VACTE is an advocate of Virginia’s credentialing assessment,
which is a nationally recognized third party assessment taken by
students enrolled in high school CTE classes. These Virginia Board of
Education approved external examinations test essential employability
and technical skills. Students who earn these credentials are eligible to
earn verified credit towards graduation requirements. CTE is learning
that works for Virginia!
During the 2011-2012 school year, 51,192 credentials were earned
by high school students. Armed with these credentials, CTE students are
a “step ahead” with their skill level and knowledge regardless of their
postsecondary career choices, as they are both college ready and career
ready. Students show their knowledge, technical and job-readiness skills
and stand out in today’s competitive workforce. CTE is learning that
works for Virginia!
Also, in 2011-2012, the number of CTE completers increased to
41,677. A CTE completer is a student who met the requirements for a
CTE concentration (sequence) of classes and all requirements for high
school graduation or approved alternative education programs.
CTE is not the same program today that many parents and
grandparents were enrolled in during high school. Implementing rigor
and relevancy in CTE is an area in which Virginia CTE programs lead
the nation. The Governor’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics) academy at the secondary level is designed to expand
options for students to acquire STEM literacy, and other critical skills,
knowledge, and credentials with a CTE component. This will prepare
them for postsecondary education and high-demand, high-skill, and
high-wage career in a competitive global economy. There are 18
Governor’s STEM Academies and anticipated 3 additional Academies
by June 30, 2013. Another initiative is the new Governor’s Health
Science Academy also aligned with CTE programs at the secondary
level. Two applications are in the second review process before the
Board of Education and by this reading anticipated approval. This is
CTE Today!
Over 30,000 Virginia secondary students (including CTE
completers) earned dual enrollment credit during 2011-2012 school
year and 679 secondary students (including CTE completers) earned
community college certificates for degrees at or before high school
graduation. And as of December 2012, 352 high schools including CTE
technical centers are implementing Virginia’s Microsoft Information
Technology (IT) Academy program and 9,009 Microsoft IT Academy
certifications have been earned by students.
CTE is learning that works for Virginia!
There is available data on CTE and the integral role the programs
have in middle and high school education. But beyond the data, is CTE’s
role in helping students succeed. High school students involved in CTE
are more engaged, perform better and are more likely to graduate.
VACTE will continue to advocate and support expanding CTE in
Virginia. CTE provides students with core academic and technical skills
and it is an education for a strong economy!
Visit the CTE programs at your local schools and see for yourself
the rigor and relevance of CTE for ALL students. Check out the new
CTE Today!
Brenda Long, Vice-President for Public Policy, VA Association for
Career and Technical Education, has a 30 year career in Career and
Technical Education including classroom teacher, school assistant
principal, and district director.
Career and Technical Education:
Learning that works for Virginia
By Brenda Long
A report released by the United States Chamber of Commerce
recognized Virginia among the top three states in the country
for innovation and entrepreneurship. Virginia ranked sixth in the
Chamber’s report last year. The report recognized Governor Bob
McDonnell’s “Year of the Entrepreneur” campaign in the report and the
role of Virginia’s Business One Stop to help “entrepreneurs obtain the
information and complete the steps required to register their businesses
and find resources to help them grow and expand.”
Speaking about the report, Governor McDonnell said, “Creating
the best environment for private-sector job creation and innovation
has been the top focus of our administration. Since we took office, our
unemployment rate has fallen from7.3 percent to 5.3 percent, the lowest
rate in the Southeast and the second lowest east of the Mississippi.
This report confirms that when it comes to supporting startups and new
jobs, Virginia is a national leader and continuing to make substantive
progress. But there is more to do.We have continued last year’s “Year of
the Entrepreneur” campaign in Virginia with the ongoing “innoVAte”
initiative, including an undergraduate business plan competition that
brought some of the most promising startup ideas from 21 ofVirginia’s
colleges and universities to Richmond yesterday. Innovators like the
young people who pitched their business plans to investors yesterday
will form the backbone of a culture of entrepreneurship inVirginia that
will continue to make the Commonwealth one of the best places to live,
raise a family, and find a good job.”
Among the findings of the report were that, “Virginia may be the
best state in the nation for STEM jobs. The state is 1st in STEM job
concentration and 2nd in STEM job growth only to North Dakota,
where the concentration is much lower. Virginia also has the highest
share of business establishments in high-tech industries.”
The report also found that, “Virginia takes 1st place in our measure
of general standard of living: median family income adjusted for cost
of living… Virginia is a national leader in professional, scientific,
and technical services. Virginia grew that sector 37% over the past
decade—impressive growth for an already large sector.”
The full report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is available at
U.S. Chamber Recognizes Virginia in Top States for Innovation
Virginia ranks first in the nation in STEM job concentration, high-tech share of all businesses and standard of living
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