We’re excited to announce the launch of XAP’s new Work-Based Learning component, designed to help educators expose students to more opportunities and help them explore potential pathways, while increasing the quality of work-based learning outcomes. We conducted a survey at the 2021 ACTE Vision Conference to clearly define issues educators face within work-based learning management.... Continue Reading →
“Why don’t they bring back shop class?” Educators hear this question all the time because parents (and sometimes students) are not aware of the career and technical education (CTE) classes that schools offer. This gap in awareness can be costly to students and have significant financial implications. Therefore, many schools are looking for strategies to... Continue Reading →
Post-secondary options are plentiful for high school students, more so than ever before. But many school leaders might not fully realize what all these options are and the financial impact they might have on students. What they do know is how they currently allocate their resources for staff, budgets, and curricula. To distribute these resources... Continue Reading →
As the value of a college education comes under increased scrutiny, more students and their families are pursuing post-high-school alternatives, such as work-based opportunities. Work-based learning involves formal activities, such as apprenticeships, internships, and work placements, and less-formal ones, such as career speakers and job shadowing. For the career counselor, this represents a challenge: how... Continue Reading →
Since the post-WWII era, students in the US have been encouraged to pursue a bachelor's degree. A four-year college education is considered by many to be the best route to a rewarding career and a secure financial future. Conventional wisdom holds that a college degree will lead to a middle-class lifestyle and a desired level... Continue Reading →
CTE Pathways is not cheap. The investment from the federal government will top $1.3 billion for this year. Equipment, supplies, and training add up to a large price tag. But if this is the case, why are many legislators and school leaders so supportive of CTE programming? The answer is clear: when done correctly, CTE... Continue Reading →
Traditionally, school career and college planning programs emphasized college readiness, focusing primarily on academics and admission requirements. However, it’s clear that college is not the best fit for all students—or the current job market—as more than half of occupations in the US now require specialized training but not a bachelor's degree. “Career training has been... Continue Reading →
Companies across multiple industries report that they are having difficulty finding workers with the skills that their open positions require. While COVID-19-pandemic-related issues, such as lack of childcare and employee health concerns, have exacerbated the worker shortage, businesses have been challenged by a lack of skilled workers for several years. Companies such as Amazon and... Continue Reading →
Removing the stigma around career and technical education (CTE) benefits students, parents, and teachers. But to do so, districts must be mindful in creating a multi-faceted communication strategy. School districts can change the perception of CTE if they know how to address the misconceptions. When we look at other workforce stigmas, such as talking about... Continue Reading →
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