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Publication Sneak Peak
Publication Sneak Peek: Instructional Leader
This segment features content from other AAEA publications. Instructional Leader is a quarterly publication available to districts on a subscription basis. The following article can be found in the December 2021 edition.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL!
Southwest Arkansas Collaborates for Nontraditional Career Exploration
Contributor: Stacey Southerland, Career & Technical Education Coordinator, DeQueen-Mena ESC
Occupations are considered nontraditional by the Department of Labor if its workforce comprises less than 25% of one gender, this means many employers are making a more concerted effort to hire equal numbers of women and men — particularly in jobs and industries that have been dominated by one gender in the past. Nontraditional careers are a way for females to have an edge on the job market, with many of our skilled labor positions retiring, females with training and certainly credentialing, have a wide range of opportunities for lucrative careers that are not traditional.
Examples of Nontraditional Careers for Women
1. Heavy equipment operator. Heavy equipment operators use machines like bulldozers and backhoes to move materials and excavate sites for building. An increasing number of women are entering the construction industry by filling heavy equipment operator roles. Women comprise approximately 9% of the construction industry, according to BLS data, and most of them work in administrative roles.
2. Automotive technician. Mechanics work on vehicles doing preventive maintenance, such as flushing fluids and replacing rotors, as well as repairing and replacing parts damaged from accidents or just regular wear and tear. As cars have gotten smarter, and automotive jobs have become more tech-based, more women have entered the field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of women in the automotive repair and maintenance industry is 9.9% as of 2019, which grew from 7.3% back in 2015, and 1.4% back in 1999.
3. Electrician. Electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical power, communications, lighting, and control systems. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), about 84,700 openings for electricians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. The entry level education is a high school diploma, most electricians learn through an apprenticeship, but some start out by attending a technical school. Most states require electricians to be licensed.
4. Welder. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join, repair, or cut metal parts and products. A high school diploma or equivalent, combined with technical and on-the-job training, is typically required for anyone to become a welder, OOH reports that there were 418,200 jobs available as a welder in 2020.
5. Firefighter. Whether they're on a volunteer basis or officially employed by the city, firefighters must respond and help deal with many scenarios, including fires, car accidents, and other emergency situations. NBC News reports, less than 5 percent of career firefighters across the country are women, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
6. Engineer. This job can include anything from mechanical engineering to civil engineering. OOH reports that by 2030 there will be 146,000 new jobs projected. Most of the projected job growth in this group will be in the engineer occupations, those services will be in demand in areas such as rebuilding of infrastructure, renewable energy, oil and gas extraction, and robotics. The education required depends on the specific occupation, but ranges from an associates degree to a bachelors. The average salary for an engineer was $83,160 in May 2020.
7. Police officer. Police officers are important members of the community who patrol neighborhoods, respond to emergency calls, and work to ensure the safety of law-abiding citizens. Education requirements to enter the occupation ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree. Most police and detectives must graduate from their agency’s training academy before completing on-the-job training. Candidates must be U.S. citizens, usually at least 21 years old, and able to meet rigorous physical and personal qualifications. The annual wage for police and detectives was $67,290 in May 2020. (OOH)
8. Computer technicians. Computer technicians can work as developers and programmers for small businesses or troubleshooters for internal and client-facing systems. These occupations are projected to add about 667,600 new jobs by 2030. The median salary for computer and information technology occupations was $91,250 in May 2020. (OOH)
The Arkansas Division of Career & Technical Education (DCTE) identifies on the DCTE Nontraditional Crosswalk all of the above occupation areas a nontraditional focus for females in Arkansas. As the need for skilled workers rises it is essential for female students to become aware of nontraditional career opportunities available to them. To meet this growing need, three education cooperatives in Southwest Arkansas have partnered to provide hands-on experiences for the female students in their areas.
In August, 2021 DCTE offered an opportunity for Career & Technical Education Coordinators to submit an application for funding to explore nontraditional areas. Perkins V defines ‘Nontraditional Fields’ as, “ occupations or fields of work, such as careers in computer science, technology, and other current and emerging high-skill occupations, for which individuals from one gender comprised less than 25% of the individuals employed in each such occupation or field of work.” [Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 § 3 (33)]
The CTE coordinators at DeQueen-Mena ESC (DMESC), SouthCentral ESC (SCSC), and Southwest ESC (SWAEC) took advantage of this opportunity with an application for 9th-12 grade females to attend events that featured hands on activities in various nontraditional areas. “Be the Model, Break the Mold” career exploration is the result of the approval for funding for the collaboration of five nontraditional career exploration events for the three Education Cooperatives.
To implement “Be the Model, Break the Mold” the Education Cooperatives partnered with five post-secondary institutions to host and deliver a full day of hands-on activities for female students to explore nontraditional areas. Each institution varied in the activities depending on resources available to them. Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia was the kick off event on Friday, November 5th with 80 students registered from Magnolia, Bearden, Emerson, Junction City, Smackover and Parkers Chapel Schools. Dr. Trent Wells and his group of future educators planned a full day putting toolboxes, torches and vehicles on site for the students to work through exercises and practice holding and manipulating equipment. Dr. Wells highlighted the female students in his Agriculture Education program as session instructors to emphasize female leaders on his campus.
The second event was held November 11th on the University of Arkansas Rich Mountain campus in Mena. Sixty students registered from Mena, Acorn, Oden, Caddo Hills, Mount Ida and Cossatot River School districts to participate in another day full of hands-on rotations. Students used HAAS equipment in Machine Tool Technology, built a web page in the IT lab, welded in the shop and heard from industry leaders with Nidec and Sterling Machinery to round out the experience. Again, students were chosen to lead some of the sessions, giving the opportunity for high schoolers to hear about “college life” experiences and to interact with students who were leaders in their chosen field of study.
The third “Be The Model” event was held at University of Cossatot’s Industrial Maintenance Institute campus, 40 students from Foreman, Ashdown, Horatio, DeQueen & Nashville Schools registered and participated in a day full of automotive maintenance, PLC coding, electrical wiring and plasma cutting in the weld shop.
The third week of November events moved to University of Arkansas Hope & Texarkana, 85 students registered from Blevins, Fouke, Mineral Springs, Genoa, Harmony Grove, Nevada, Hope & Spring Hill School Districts to participate in information technology, welding, machining and automotive maintenance sessions. Districts in each of the three cooperative areas had the opportunity to choose the location or date that was the best fit for them.
To conclude the “Be The Model, Break The Mold” career exploration project, students who participated will be surveyed to assess how the experience impacted their decisions on future classes and on career choices. At this date, the survey results are not available, but from the successful registration and the enthusiasm of the students and educators in attendance, the results will be positive.
The partnership between DMESC, SCSC and SWAEC has been beneficial for students whose districts are Perkins Consortia members of the education coops. By combining resources and sharing partnerships, opportunities for career exploration have become a tradition. The CTE Coordinators at the cooperatives have teamed with SADA (Southwest Arkansas Development Alliance) and UAHT/Hempstead Hall to host 8th grade students from those regions in an annual career exploration event. The partnership and first “Explore Success” student conference began in 2018 with an onsite event held October 16. Students in the 8th grade were targeted with motivational speakers and interactions with business and industry partners, the focus was on manufacturing at the request of those partners and interactions emphasized how crucial soft skills were to employers. Each year this event has been held successfully in the fall, the past two years the restrictions for travel have not deterred the group from its mission. The 2020 and the 2021 events were held virtually, giving schools the opportunity to watch recorded sessions to better utilize the information to fit their schedules. The 2021 event held on October 26, had over 1,440 students registered and was implemented through the Arkansas Ready for Life platform to encourage the knowledge and use of the site which houses vital career information for students in Arkansas. Students were able to interact with Arkansas’s motivational speaker Paul Vitale and sessions with employers such as Sevier Co. Hospital, Pilgrim’s, Mulekick Cafe and Hempstead County officials.
Economic and Educational leaders in Southwest Arkansas have agreed that we can accomplish more for students together than we can alone. DMESC, SCSC and SWAEC’s strong partnership between CTE Coordinators have proven to be a successful alliance as they continue to provide meaningful opportunities for the districts in their region and the students they serve.
