Interest in career and technical education is growing, both here and nationally

By Harold Gwin

Interest in career and technical education is growing, both here and nationally.

YOUNGSTOWN — It’s common for graduating seniors to say their school has had a big impact on their lives.

It’s a bit rare for one to say that school saved his or her life.

But getting into Choffin Career & Technical Center in the Youngstown City School District did that for him, said Leon Glenn.

“I used to be a troublemaker. I used to get suspended from school a lot,” Glenn freely admitted. “I didn’t do my work, and I never went to school.”

But, as he grew older, a teacher suggested to him that he should do better for himself, a simple but significant suggestion that led him to look at the career and technical education possibilities at Choffin.

“After the first week, I was hooked,” he said of his enrollment in the teacher-preparation-tech program. “This year was the first year I got straight A’s on my report card.”

He found out that he loves teaching and has gained 450 hours of student-teaching experience in the teacher-prep program.

Without Choffin, Glenn said he would have been headed for serious trouble.

“I would probably be where my father is — dead,” he said matter-of-factly.

His story is more dramatic than most, but other career and technical education students are just as adamant about the advantages their schools has offered them.

Jesse Stamm, a Jackson-Milton senior at the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center, said he would be taking regular academic classes at his home school now had he not found the interactive multimedia program at MCCTC that played to his interest in art.

“I probably wouldn’t be going to PTI [Pittsburgh Technical Institute],” he said, noting he’s already been accepted there to continue his education in graphic design.

Enrollment in career and technical education schools is growing, reaching 15.6 million this year as compared with 9.6 million in 1999, said Sabrina Kidwai, spokeswoman for the national Association for Career and Technical Education, an organization that advocates for national funds for CTE programs.

The federal government put $1.3 billion into those programs this year through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational-Technical Education Act, and President Barack Obama has asked for the same allocation in the next fiscal year, Kidwai said.

“CTE is on the rise,” she said, suggesting that it allows kids to be engaged in their education and gives a real-world demonstration of the importance of learning things such as geometry as it relates to engineering and construction.

Nationally, an effort has begun on an image campaign stressing the relevance of career and technical education.

“It’s not your father’s vo-tech,” Kidwai said, pointing out the heavy focus on technology and skill training adapted to the demands of the job market. Ohio CTE schools have done an excellent job of partnering with business and industry, she said.

“It’s not an alternative; it’s a pathway to a career,” she said.

Career planning begins in the seventh or eighth grade through the Ohio Career Information System for students interested in attending MCCTC, said Jacqueline Kuffel, career development supervisor at the school.

MCCTC, which serves 13 public school districts in the county, offers 24 career and technical education programs for traditional students as well as adult education and training programs, she said.

Choffin, which serves the Youngstown schools but also draws students from other districts, offers 21 programs for students as well as various adult education programs.

Students begin their career planning in eighth or ninth grade through the Kuder Career Planning System. They also take an assessment test to help focus on career possibilities, said Renee English, enrollment coordinator.

Some programs in both schools offer the possibility of securing college credit while in high school, and many CTE students choose to pursue college degrees after high school.

A lot of CTE schools encourage their kids to go on to college, Kidwai said. Statistics show that one-third of the fastest-growing jobs in the next 10 years will require post-secondary education. CTE is a critical component of those new jobs, she said.

Career tech is continuing learning, English said, explaining that students who complete career-tech programs feel confident they can move on to college.

“We’re creating lifelong learners,” Kuffel said.

Obama speaks frequently about the importance of education and now adds career-tech education to his speeches, Kidwai said, noting that her organization has sent the president a lot of CTE information.

Interest in CTE programs is high here.

“We’ve seen a major increase in applications,” English said. Choffin has 515 students this year but is looking at expanding to more than 600 next year.

MCCTC’s enrollment was up to 700 this year and is expected to remain at that number next year, Kuffel said.

Teachers have their CTE students in a lab or classroom for 2 1/2 hours a day, allowing the development of a strong relationship, which is a factor in drawing students, English said.

Choffin has its students for half-day sessions.

“That rapport is extremely important,” Kuffel said.

MCCTC offers both half-day and full-day programs.

gwin@vindy.com