CTE Shop Class: Now It’s High-Tech

By Mike Porcelli

Last weekend my mission to restore trade education in our schools included a road-trip to Warren, Michigan, where I attended electric vehicle training at the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT) at Macomb Community College, home of one of the finest automotive education programs.

CAAT is part of a network funded by the National Science Foundation to ensure that the workforce of the future includes people with the skills needed to maintain ever-changing technologies.

The workforce development part of the presentations included many of the ideas espoused here each week regarding the need for schools to match their instruction to the talents and abilities of students and produce graduates with the skills needed by industry.

CAAT works with high schools and colleges to promote programs that produce graduates with the needed combination of skills. They also bring talent exploration programs to middle and grade schools to help young students understand the types of careers that match their natural talents – another constant theme here. They do this by providing funding to improve and disseminate programs that prepare students for jobs in advanced automotive technology.

The idea that such programs are sorely needed was dramatically illustrated by the event’s keynote speaker, Carla Bailo, CEO of the Center for Automotive Research, a think-tank helping to design the future of the automotive industry.

Bailo became a leading industry engineer and executive despite her high school counselors’ determination that she should become a journalist or politician.

Against the advice of her school’s “experts,” who told her that “girls like her don’t need science classes,” she enrolled in chemistry, where the teacher recognized her natural aptitude and advised her to study engineering, something she never considered to that point.

She credits that teacher’s astute recognition of her potential, with setting her on a path to become one of the most successful engineers in the auto industry, and a role-model for young women in STEM careers everywhere.

Sadly, Bailo regrets her son lacked accurate guidance from his high school, and his college major was not suited to his natural talents, causing him to later learn a trade that did fit his talents.

Each of the other speakers spoke about various CAAT-sponsored programs that help schools improve their assessment of students and help guide them into their best academic and career paths.

Bailo summed up the essential objective of CAAT, and this column, by saying: “The education establishment must change to accurately assess students’ abilities and provide instruction matched to them, thereby maximizing their individual potential.”

Go to: http://autocaat.org/Home/ to see how local schools can implement CAAT’s and Carla’s recommendations.

Every school MUST meet this goal. Insist that they do!

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/ 

CTE Shop Class: Now It’s High-Tech

By Mike Porcelli

In my continuing mission to advocate for the availability of career training best suited to students, I constantly encounter groups dedicated to helping them discover their best career paths. Every school and family of young students should take advantage of the career exploration counseling services offered by these organizations. They represent many industries; most are widely available, and many are free to use.

This week, I introduce you to: https://techforce.org/ – a nonprofit committed to career exploration and workforce development for students and professional technicians in automotive, aviation, collision, diesel, marine and other mechanical technologies. It is composed of students, working technicians, instructors and industry professionals committed to empowering the industry workforce.

TechForce inspires young people to explore the technician profession, supports students obtaining the technical training to become workforce-ready and connects techs with resources, mentors and employers to advance their careers. They champion students through their technical education and into the trades by offering career exploration tools to middle and high school students and guiding future techs through their education, career development and job placement. 

It is a hub for career exploration, workforce development and job placement of professional technicians, and is the largest nonprofit scholarship provider for those entering the industry. Since 2007, they’ve awarded over $17,000,000 in scholarships and grants to more than 40,000 aspiring technicians.

In order to better reach the students who can most benefit from their services, TechForce has built the first-ever social network dedicated to aspiring and professional technicians. The network is free to join and allows techs and students to connect with industry events, scholarships, and jobs, all while having fun. Explore TechForce’s social network at: http://techforce.org/Network/

TechForce and other such career development organizations recognize that students are all wired differently, that many can be better off not incurring the debt of a 4-year college degree, and there are many different paths to career success. It’s time for our schools to acknowledge these facts and restore respect for technical education, the skilled trades and the essential workers who keep America moving by expanding CTE programs nationwide.

In order to accomplish their goal to be the champion for all technicians, TechForce collaborates with every willing school, company, association and nonprofit across all industry sectors to identify solutions that help current and future techs successfully navigate their career paths, from entry to placement. They currently have working relationships with over 300 Partner Schools in the TechForce Network.

Readers should participate in local school board meetings to demand that school systems join with TechForce and similar services to maximize the development of every student’s natural abilities and talents so they can have successful careers.

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/ 

CTE Shop Class: Now It’s High-Tech

By Mike Porcelli

Each year we start off September by celebrating Labor Day, the day set aside to honor the contributions of working people.

But few people know that it’s also Workforce Development Month, and the third Friday is known as National Tradesmen Day.

Last week I attended City & State’s Future of Work Summit, where leaders in workforce development explored how to produce the labor-force of the future.

A major focus of the day was the role of education in developing that workforce — something I have been promoting for decades.

The event featured many local and state officials, who spoke about the importance of training young people to fill jobs our economy needs — particularly trade jobs.

Like last month’s Education Summit, each speaker acknowledged that our schools are not producing enough graduates with trade skills.

We must correct that deficiency by expanding Career and Technical Education and guiding students into the careers they are best suited for. That must become our most important education priority — before it’s too late.

The theme of the day seemed to be, schools must provide training that is paired with students’ talents and abilities, something this column has repeatedly stressed.

The alignment of training that fits the needs of both students and industry must be the goal of our education system.

After decades of reducing trade training programs, leaders of government, education and industry are finally recognizing the error of that policy and actively seeking to correct it.

It was very encouraging to hear many of the speakers reiterate what I have been preaching for years, but there seemed to be a lack of awareness about how to achieve balance in the programs that schools offer.

I was greatly disappointed that none of the speakers were aware of the https://www.march2success.com/ program discussed here last week, even though it was featured at last month’s Education Summit, but pleased that several of the speakers promised to investigate how March2Success could help schools align their offerings with students.

In this month of recognition of the value of all workers, especially those who work with their hands and high-tech minds, with the skills to maintain the modern technology we all rely on every day for our very existence, it’s time to remember how dependent we are on their skills and honor all tradesmen as earlier societies did.

Every day should be Tradesmen-Appreciation-Day. They are among our most essential workers. Show them the respect they deserve and join the CTE Revolution to produce more of them.

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/ 

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/ 

CTE Shop Class:  NOW – IT’S HIGH-TECH

By Mike Porcelli

Welcome to the second chapter of “The Other Side Of Education,” a title that was inspired by my appearance last month on my friend Frank Morano’s WABC radio show, “The Other Side Of Midnight,” because trade education is the OTHER alternative to the academic education path that’s promoted by most secondary school systems.

Since the time my high school tried to discourage me from taking shop class 60 years ago, I’ve known that trade education, now CTE, is a viable alternative to the costly, “college is the only path to success,” that’s been promoted by the education establishment.

Career and technical education is not only an equally effective route… for students with the aptitude and desire, CTE offers opportunities for faster entry into high-paying, very satisfying jobs that are in high demand — with little or no debt.

Last week I again appeared on Frank’s show to discuss the extremely positive feedback we both received from our first discussion on education.

Many of his listeners called or wrote to express their support for restoring trade education. Some reported their own regrets about not being offered CTE programs. Others expressed their support for expanding those programs for current students, and their dissatisfaction with the slow pace of bringing shop classes back for those who want them.

Some people reported that because they were denied the opportunity for trade training in high school, they were forced to seek out and pay for career training on their own.

In all cases, that training provided them with highly successful careers, often with higher earnings than their classmates who were burdened by college debt.

Reactions to the first chapter of this column were much the same… great support for expanding CTE programs now, and regrets that they have been diminished for half a century.

The two sides of the education coin, academic and trade training, are NOT mutually exclusive. I took advantage of both while in high school and college.

Many others have also enjoyed the benefits of the two sides of education and gone on to earn all levels of college degrees during their careers — mostly without debt.

Others who went directly to college and could not find satisfying employment, later turned to trade schools to learn useful skills, providing them with successful careers.

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/ 

It’s Not Your Grandfather’s – It’s High-Tech

By Mike Porcelli

Shop Class is coming back…at least I hope it is.

Last month I attended the City & State Education Summit, featuring some of the leading voices on education in New York.

In his keynote address, School Chancellor David Banks announced his intention to bring back CTE – Career & Technical Education programs – the modern version of trade education, or what I call: ‘the other side of education,’ by saying, ‘It’s Not Your Grandfather’s CTE.’

His phrasing immediately got my attention, because the reference to grandfathers in the title of this column, was selected a week before the conference.

When I heard Chancellor Banks stress “It’s not your grandfather’s CTE,” I immediately thought, he understands modern CTE must necessarily be high-tech, because all trades now use technology extensively.

At least, I hope he understands, and acts accordingly.

Everything the Chancellor said, indicated he understands the importance of trade training for students who are suited for and desire it, and he has plans to make shop classes available to all who can benefit from them.

He indicated that the destruction of trade training programs over the past six decades, was misguided and destructive to many students.

It absolutely was, resulting in millions of students being under-educated by schools that deprived them of the training they needed.

Hopefully, the restoration of CTE will reduce the number of students forced into programs that don’t match their talents, desires and ambitions, leading to their poor grades, high drop-out rates, low employability and high frustration.

This combination of low skills and high frustration in students deprived of their best options, is a major cause of mental, emotional and economic distress.

When students do not have the opportunity to develop their natural talents, they will be less employable, less productive and less satisfied than those allowed to develop their potential.

Our education system is obligated to provide all students the best training options based on their abilities and needs.

Hopefully, Chancellor Banks and his administration can increase the availability of CTE programs, so that all students who need them can take advantage of them.

The goal of restoring CTE poses a commendable challenge for Banks.

For the sake of his students, I hope he is successful – but he must be held accountable.

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 is a life-long mechanic, adjunct professor and host of Autolab Radio.

He is committed to restoring trade education in schools before it’s too late.