TY FOR TCAPS

At this fall’s Michigan Association of School Boards Leadership Conference, one idea stuck with me:

“Exposure leads to expansion.”

When we give students early, hands-on experiences with career and technical fields, we widen their sense of what’s possible.

That’s why I loved seeing West Middle School 8th graders touring Northwest Education Services‘ North Ed Career Tech earlier this week.

Experiences like these help students discover strengths, explore pathways, and imagine futures that fit them — not the other way around.

A few facts that I learned at the conference underscore the importance of Career and Technical Education (CTE):

• Michigan students who participate in CTE graduate at higher rates than those who don’t.

• Nationally, 1 out of 10 jobs requires a master’s degree or higher. 2 out of 10 require a bachelor’s degree. And 7 out of 10 jobs require career or technical training — not a traditional four-year degree

Expanding access and opportunity for every learner means valuing all the pathways that lead to success.

CTE is one of them — and it’s essential.

Cute photo of WMS 8th Graders touring the CTC (PC: Traverse City West Middle School – TCAPS)