Career and Technical Education Month
Celebrate Career and Technical Education Month by Bailee Wicks Communications Manager
February is National Career and Technical Education Month (CTE). CTE promotes and supports locally-based high school programs that provide 21st century, academic and technical skills for all students. CTE gives students the skills needed for postsecondary and workplace success. Modern education places a heavy emphasis on math, English and history. Although they are important, many feel those subjects should be presented with more real-world examples. That is where CTE comes in. Filling the labor shortage gap There is no debating the severity of the skilled labor shortage in the residential construction industry. Labor and subcontractor shortages remain widespread and continue to impact the industry in several ways. Simultaneously, the student debt load from a traditional fouryear path, pushed by educators, parents and society, has risen sharply. With vocational training removed from classrooms and a lack of trade education, it is time to present residential construction jobs as viable alternatives. Exposing students of all ages to the opportunities of a career in the 12
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skilled trades can help us tackle the shortage head-on. CTE programs are combating the labor shortage by integrating technical career skill proficiencies with academic content that prepares students for the workplace, further education and training. It also helps professionals in the education industry be aware of the best practices in recruiting people into the trades.
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BIAW partnerships bridge gap for students BIAW is proud to partner with the Home Builders Institute (HBI). HBI is a national leader for career training in the building industry. Their curriculum provides students the skills and experience they need for successful careers through pre-apprenticeship training, job placement services, mentoring, certification programs, textbooks and curricula.
63% of Gen Z agrees that “COVID has made me reassess career goals.”
Seeing the shift Since the start of the pandemic, students have not had a stable learning environment. They were forced to learn online and once school started back in-person, rising cases threatened to send them back home again. All of this has more students questioning the path of a four-year university. According to a survey done by YPulse - the leading authority on Gen Z and Millennial opinions 63% of Gen Z agrees that “COVID has made me reassess career goals.” With so many seriously considering taking alternative paths, the time is right for CTE.
With an 80% job placement rate for graduates, HBI training programs are taught in local communities across the country, serving youth, veterans, displaced workers and other underserved populations. HBI training programs do more than provide job skills; they also build character and self-esteem, providing students with the skills they need to succeed on the job and in life. In just over a year, with the help of local association staff and members, BIAW Education and Workforce Development Director
