The William S. Hart Union School District governing board voted unanimously to recognize the month of February as Career Technical Education month, which highlights educational training of high school students to meet the needs to become a skilled worker after graduating.
The Association for Career and Technical Education has designated Feb. 1-29 to celebrate career and technical education across the United States.
“CTE is education that is meant to directly prepare students for high-demand careers,” said Mike Kuhlman, deputy superintendent of the district. “The opportunities are essential to ensure that all of our students are engaged and see the relevance of the education they are receiving.”
KidFlix Productions, a Placerita Junior High School student-run program where students put together a daily newscast, was shown as an example of the benefits students can gain from CTE programs.
“These programs are college and career readiness,” said Vicki Engbrecht, superintendent of the district. “So they help students if they choose to go to college or if they choose to start a job right out of high school.”
By 2022, more than 50 million job openings will be offered for career technical education graduates, according to ACTE. This includes jobs in the field of STEM, nursing, construction, energy sustainability and information technology.
“CTE is a true solution to ensure that competitive skilled workers are ready and capable of holding jobs in high-demand career fields,” said Kuhlman.
