Classroom

Workforce Development and CTE Programs Open Doors for K–12 Students

Some districts are bridging the gap between high school and career paths for motivated students. Here’s what these programs look like, and how digital citizenship plays a role.

Corey L. Gordon

Corey L. Gordon is a K–12 Northeast educational strategist for CDW•G. He previously worked with the New York City Department of Education, where he was an educational analyst for the largest school district in the U.S. Gordon has a master’s degree in educational leadership, curriculum and instruction. He is passionate about digital equity and inclusion and creating STEM programs, and is an avid tennis fan and traveler.

With a high demand for skilled professionals to fill technical roles, K–12 schools must find ways to prepare students for these opportunities. For some districts, that means introducing science, technology, engineering and math lessons to students early. In others, it means giving students the chance to train and earn certifications in technology fields before they graduate.

Workforce development and career and technical education (CTE) programs are growing in popularity, particularly as they relate to high-demand skill sets like cybersecurity, network technology and artificial intelligence.

Workforce and CTE Programs to Build Students’ Skills

K–12 students in workforce development and CTE programs can earn credits and certifications that align with their future career paths, in addition to learning the skills necessary to do those jobs. In some cases, students are hired right out of high school.

Click the banner to follow ed tech trends and news when you subscribe to our newsletter.

We can see this pipeline in Newport News, Va. The Newport News Shipbuilding’s Career Pathways Program partners with local public schools in Virginia to give students exposure to relevant STEM careers. Some students can start a career in building, welding or electrical work with Huntington Ingalls Industries — the largest military shipbuilding company in the U.S., of which Newport News Shipbuilding is a division — right out of high school.

Other schools are integrating their CTE programs, like Portsmouth Public Schools, which is building the Portsmouth Advanced Career Education Center. This facility will offer state-of-the-art training opportunities in a variety of fields, including IT.

The PACE Center has planned esports and cybersecurity rooms, as well as hands-on network infrastructure learning experiences built into the walls. Students and staff will have passageways behind the walls that give them a firsthand chance to see and interact with the building’s infrastructure.

Digital Citizenship’s Role in Students’ Futures

Beyond the hands-on skills and certifications students can earn in these programs, schools can prepare students for the workforce with digital citizenship skills.

Digital citizenship depends on digital literacy, which is built through an understanding of digital vocabulary. Schools are teaching students digital fluency with these foundational building blocks as early as elementary school.

Then, by the time students are in middle and high school, they can begin to examine the context around digital citizenship and how they interact in digital spaces.

Learning these crucial skills not only molds students to become good colleagues one day, but also allows them to find and secure jobs. Learning to navigate social media appropriately is a key element of digital citizenship. This can improve their presence and familiarity with vital networking and job sites, like LinkedIn.

The Benefit of Partnerships for Building Career Pathways

Schools that don’t have these programs in place don’t have to start from scratch. Partners like CDW can help them figure out where to start. For example, CDW worked with Portsmouth Public Schools to conceptualize the spaces in its PACE Center.

There are also CDW experts dedicated specifically to program areas like esports to help schools build out esports arenas.

As an IT company, CDW not only is able to help schools partner with vendors for certification and trainings, but also is sometimes looking to fill these positions on its own staff.

Whether it’s a technology company like CDW or a local industry giant like Huntington Ingalls Industries, partnerships with organizations can serve a vital role for K–12 schools looking for ways to build students’ technical skill sets.

This article is part of the ConnectIT: Bridging the Gap Between Education and Technology series.