School-to-Career Blog 030707
The views expressed here are Chris' and are not necessarily the same as the Wake County Public School System.
'Hire' education: A vocational model succeeds - CNN
Article Highlights
"Mark Whitlock runs the CEC, a publicly funded charter school that opened in August of 2000. "Our mission is to ensure a viable 21st century workforce," Whitlock said."
"CEC is about change in the workplace," says Whitlock. "In the 1960s and 70s, most jobs could be accessed with a general high school diploma or less. ...Today, most jobs require something beyond high school -- though not necessarily a four year degree -- and generally technical in nature."
"In response to messages like this from various local employers, a study group comprised of county business, education and community leaders joined forces to address their individual yet interrelated needs."
"The group's findings were consistent with national data, notes Whitlock. "Workers have less supervision, so more independence is required; businesses have more automation, so more technical skills are required, and we have a new global customer base, so workers need to relate to people across many different barriers.""
"In addition, business leaders wanted a higher level of work ethic -- a demand also not unique to Coweta County."
"We know from two research universities that 98 percent of young people who dual-enroll in a technical college program while in high school and who earn a technical college certificate will graduate from high school," stresses Whitlock. "Within 120 days, all of those young people who do graduate will have success in entering into the workforce or entering into additional post-secondary education. It's a virtual assurance of success."
Chris' thoughts -
School preparing students for work? It's not a new concept, but one that we seem to have strayed from. Working with the community to shape students into future employees that will be in demand is what we hope to accomplish in School-to-Career.
Chris writes for the following Blogs:
- Wake County School-to-Career Blog
- Association for Career and Technical Education's (ACTE) New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers Section (ACTE blog)
- Association for Career and Technical Education's (ACTE) New and Related Services Division, School-to-Work/Careers Section (ACTE blog) (alternate view)
- Wake County Public School System's Morning Announcements (WCPSS blog)
Wake County Public School System programs are staffed and offered without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, political affiliation, or disability.