The key to a stronger economy in California is Career Technical Education, or CTE.
Previously known as vocational education, CTE prepares students for careers based in particular fields. Students are thrown right into the action of the actual career, offering them hands-on experience in the field of their choice. What better education is there than real life experience?
In fact, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a student of CTE. Last year, he referred to CTE as, “the first-class ticket to high paying jobs and solid careers in the California economy.”
CTE programs were once the standard in California's classrooms. Classes, such as auto shop and drafting, provided students with real world skills, regardless of whether they went on to college or entered the workforce.
Today, those CTE programs have disappeared from our classrooms. As a result, California is facing a huge dropout rate and workplaces are in desperate need of skilled workers.
That is why I have authored several bills this year in the Legislature that focus on improving, expanding and restoring CTE in schools. With nearly 120,000 students every year failing to get a diploma by age 20, it is essential to provide those students with the technical skills necessary to succeed in the workplace.
With fewer CTE programs in public schools, many students are robbed of career alternatives. High school students are often told that receiving a college education is the only avenue to a bright future, yet this simply isn't true. College is not for everyone.
GetREAL California estimates that only three out of 10 students continue on to college, leaving the rest searching for other options. The students aren't the only ones who are suffering.
Every day in California, reputable jobs with benefits and salary that do not require a college education go unfilled because there are not enough people with the technical skills to fill them. According to the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, California alone needs 73,000 more carpenters and 25,000 more plumbers, electricians and pipe filters, and more than 15,000 more operators and engineers are needed just to complete projects to improve California's infrastructure over the next six years.
Without strong CTE programs in schools, the state will not have the skilled workforce it needs to keep up with our growth, stay competitive with other states and, most importantly, our global competitors. America plays an important role in the global economy, but our place in that market is slipping.
Other countries are catching up and passing us for our rightful role as leader of the global high-tech economy. CTE is the key to maintaining California's place as a competitor in the global market, preparing students for careers in a variety of fields.
I will continue my efforts throughout my tenure in the California State Senate to work with the governor and the Legislature to expand and restore CTE courses and facilities. It is time that we truly help our students prepare for their future by ensuring that they have the technical skills necessary to be a valuable part of the workforce, regardless of the path they choose.
Previously known as vocational education, CTE prepares students for careers based in particular fields. Students are thrown right into the action of the actual career, offering them hands-on experience in the field of their choice. What better education is there than real life experience?
In fact, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a student of CTE. Last year, he referred to CTE as, “the first-class ticket to high paying jobs and solid careers in the California economy.”
CTE programs were once the standard in California's classrooms. Classes, such as auto shop and drafting, provided students with real world skills, regardless of whether they went on to college or entered the workforce.
Today, those CTE programs have disappeared from our classrooms. As a result, California is facing a huge dropout rate and workplaces are in desperate need of skilled workers.
That is why I have authored several bills this year in the Legislature that focus on improving, expanding and restoring CTE in schools. With nearly 120,000 students every year failing to get a diploma by age 20, it is essential to provide those students with the technical skills necessary to succeed in the workplace.
With fewer CTE programs in public schools, many students are robbed of career alternatives. High school students are often told that receiving a college education is the only avenue to a bright future, yet this simply isn't true. College is not for everyone.
GetREAL California estimates that only three out of 10 students continue on to college, leaving the rest searching for other options. The students aren't the only ones who are suffering.
Every day in California, reputable jobs with benefits and salary that do not require a college education go unfilled because there are not enough people with the technical skills to fill them. According to the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, California alone needs 73,000 more carpenters and 25,000 more plumbers, electricians and pipe filters, and more than 15,000 more operators and engineers are needed just to complete projects to improve California's infrastructure over the next six years.
Without strong CTE programs in schools, the state will not have the skilled workforce it needs to keep up with our growth, stay competitive with other states and, most importantly, our global competitors. America plays an important role in the global economy, but our place in that market is slipping.
Other countries are catching up and passing us for our rightful role as leader of the global high-tech economy. CTE is the key to maintaining California's place as a competitor in the global market, preparing students for careers in a variety of fields.
I will continue my efforts throughout my tenure in the California State Senate to work with the governor and the Legislature to expand and restore CTE courses and facilities. It is time that we truly help our students prepare for their future by ensuring that they have the technical skills necessary to be a valuable part of the workforce, regardless of the path they choose.