Recent reports and studies have found that public education’s focus on 4-year college degrees has led to diminished emphasis on Career and Technical Education (CTE). But with the growing disparity between the skills that industry employers are looking for and the skills which available workers have to offer, that focus is under strong reconsideration.
As part of our ongoing efforts to emphasize the importance of CTE as the key to narrowing the skills gap and raise awareness of the well-paying career opportunities in construction, Build Your Future (BYF) and NCCER are joining the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) in celebrating national Career and Technical Education Month all throughout February.
CTE programs prepare students to be competitive in today's global economy. It is being championed by lawmakers and educators alike as the key to improving college and career-readiness by providing core academic skills, employability skills and technical, job-specific skills.
Industrial and commercial construction employers are struggling to find young people with the skills they need. CTE programs can be a strategic in exposing them to high-demand craft professions and training.
We must take advantage of opportunities like CTE Month to open doors in our local communities and find out where we can build connections between education and industry organizations. By spreading the word and working together, we can really show America’s youth what our industry is made of.
BYF will also release a new “Inside the Hard Hat” video every week in February. The series will feature exciting footage from some of the industry's most in-demand professions. Watch the first of the series for Ironworker in the following 1½ minute video.
The BYF website also provides other resources that can help you spark the conversation about high-demand, high-wage careers in construction. Explore the opportunities for success provided by CTE and download free CTE resources by visiting the Build Your Future website.
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