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Education that focuses on 21st-century skills

To the editor:

Walk around the classrooms at Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES’ Adirondack Educational Center, and you will see students moving. Gone are the rows of desks where students sat and listened to the teacher; that model has been replaced with dynamic and interactive learning experiences that infuse STEM technologies and academic rigor with real-world work applications. Don’t confuse today’s career and technical education with yesterday’s vocational education. Career and Technical Education (CTE) builds a bridge between academic preparation and the world of work and for many students also connects them to higher education.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, writes that “the old model of vocational education offered programs such as shop and auto mechanics, providing good skills but also tracking students for jobs right out of high school. Today, CTE provides a vastly different pathway, one that leads to high school graduation, higher education and meaningful middle-class, 21st-century jobs in skilled trades, applied sciences and technology. The idea is to prepare students for a career at whatever point they decide to pursue one and to align high school CTE with post-secondary options. Curricula have changed even in shop, where today’s students learn to read blueprints, make detailed drawings and use high-tech laser printers and 3-D technology. Similarly, automotive careers have adapted to a changing industry where computerized equipment, electronics and advanced materials are now standard, and students can choose to study fuel cells or electric car design.”

The Adirondack Educational Center continually redesigns many of its CTE programs to reflect students’ career aspirations and the needs of an ever-changing workplace. Extra attention is given to the input and feedback from employers, who work closely with the CTE teachers in keeping the curricula updated and relevant to a dynamic work environment. Programs beginning in the junior year include Automotive Technology, Building Trades, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Health Occupations and Natural Resource Science. Programs designed just for seniors in the New Visions lineup include Gaming and Coding, and Health Careers, which partners with the Adirondack Medical Center.

Today’s CTE programs are infused with 21st-century skills that are most desired by employers and colleges. Skills such as critical thinking, team building and problem solving, along with a strong academic base, give CTE students an advantage when applying for employment or college. CTE prepares all students, including those considered historically disadvantaged, for success transitioning to higher education and employment.

Recruiting for the fall 2017 is underway now. Additional program information may be obtained by contacting the home district counselor, CTE Principal Rick Swanston or CTE Counselor Joanne Williams at 518-891-1330.

Cheryl Felt

Deputy superintendent

Board of Cooperative Educational Services Sole Supervisory District for Franklin-Essex-Hamilton Counties

Malone

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