CTE Shop Class: Now It’s High-Tech
By Mike Porcelli
Reactions to this column continue to pour in. All have been extremely supportive of increasing CTE opportunities for those students who can get the most benefit from them.
Why then are there not enough CTE openings for all students who would like them?
Another important question is: how do students know what they are best equipped to study?
As I have stated many times, schools do a good job of skills assessment in the athletic departments, but not other areas.
Fortunately there is a program that helps parents, students and educators determine what aptitudes and abilities young people possess.
For decades, the largest training organization in the country, the U.S. military, has used a series of aptitude tests to place recruits in the jobs they are best equipped to handle.
From those years of experience, they have developed a program to help young people find their best path in terms of schools and careers. The program is: https://www.march2success.com/
Through a series of assessment tests and tutorials, the program helps users know their natural abilities and aptitudes, thereby helping them determine their best career path.
March2Success is a FREE website providing users access to online study materials to help improve their scores on a variety of standardized tests, and self-paced study programs in math, English and science, as well as college readiness courses that include pre-assessment tests which help to generate a custom learning path for each student.
The learning path includes interactive lessons, quizzes and additional practice tests. Also included is information to help students navigate the college application process of admissions and financial aid, as well as college application and acceptance planning guides.
The benefits of March2Success for students cannot be overstated. It is the best tool available to match students with their ideal training programs.
At the Education Summit I attended last month, the local Army recruiting command gave presentations on how March2Success can help students and schools achieve their best educational matches.
I hope that the Department of Education leadership at that conference learned how beneficial the program can be, and will use it to help students determine their best educational paths.
That would be a huge win-win for students and schools. The next step needed is to make sure that there are enough CTE openings for all students who are best suited for them, based on their skills assessments.
For the sake of all students, let’s all do everything we can to ensure that the Department of Education can achieve this goal. Join the CTE Revolution!
For our economy and society to continue to prosper: SCHOOLS MUST DEVELOP EACH STUDENT’S INDIVIDUAL NATURAL ABILITIES AND TALENTS – WHATEVER THEY ARE.
Academic & Trade Education are Two Sides of a Coin. This column explores the impact of CTE programs on students, society, and the economy.
Mike Porcelli: life-long mechanic, adjunct professor, and host of Autolab Radio, is committed to restoring trade education in schools before it’s too late. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-porcelli-master-mechanic-allasecerts/
