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By Dr. Phil Berkenbile, Interim
State Director Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education 1500 W. Seventh Ave., Stillwater, OK 74074 e-mail: pberk@okcareertech.org |
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Point of View: High School Programs More than 131,000 high school students – nearly 8,000 more than four years ago – are enrolled in CareerTech programs in their local high schools across Oklahoma. As a matter of a fact, there are 398 comprehensive “public” school districts in Oklahoma that have CareerTech programs with 1,306 programs.
Those are examples of programs most commonly found in local technology centers rather than on a high school campus.They are expensive to operate and are often used to train for business and industry, too. High school students who attend classes at a technology center sit side-by-side with adult students in three-hour blocks of time, while programs in high schools are one hour each day. CareerTech programs and the associated student organizations (CTSO) found in both high schools and technology centers are: marketing education, DECA; health occupations education, Health Occupations Student Association (HOSA); business and information technology education, Business Professionals of America (BPA); family and consumer sciences education Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA); technology education, Technology Student Association, TSA; trade and industrial education, SkillsUSA-VICA; and agricultural education, FFA. Last year, technology centers reported 14,252 high school enrollments; while enrollments for CareerTech programs located in junior and senior high schools were 131,499. And in most programs, those numbers are on the rise. Surprisingly, many of these students are not even aware that they are in a CareerTech “occupational” program. But, there are reasons that fact may be somewhat blurry. If a student travels to a technology center for a three-hour block of time every day, it’s easy to make that distinction. However, some programs are not offered at all in a technology center, such as agricultural education and technology education. Some are primarily located at a high school with a few programs in a tech center such as marketing education, family and consumer sciences education and business and information technology education. More well-known, due to community service projects and leadership training, are the seven CTSOs sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. This leadership training has an effect across the nation. This year alone, Oklahoma has seven national officers including the national secondary president of Business Professionals of America, David Roberts of McCurtain High School and the chairperson of the National CareerTech Honor Society, Lacy Mahoney of Chisholm Trail Technology Center. More than 76,000 members participate in the student organizations are involved with CareerTech programs. As with the programs, many students are members of more than one student organization. Many outstanding young people graduate from our high school programs, both at technology centers as well as high schools. They graduate with soft skills that are learned through the leadership training in the student organizations and competitive events as well as skill sets that have prepared them for the workplace or for further education These programs have evolved with the times. For example, “vocational agriculture” as it was called years ago, primarily taught young men to how to be a better farmer. Today, men and women both become involved in the program not only to learn how to manage an “agribusiness,” but to learn to public-speak, become an economist, or an engineer. Fifty-five percent of Oklahoma’s agricultural education students graduate from high school, and attend college – more than doubling the national average of high school graduates. A total of 96 percent go on to college, get a job or enter the military. Oklahoma’s graduates also receive more than $108,000 in college scholarships directly linked to their experience in agricultural education from National FFA alone. The well-known family and consumer sciences education has also evolved from “home economics” – a program known for teaching homemaking skills like cooking and sewing. Today, the relationship between work and family is this program’s unique focus. Students who graduate from our high school programs have the foundation required to move into future leadership roles across this global community – and will be well on the road to success in the workplace and further education. Futurists of The Herman Group, Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, listed as one of the top ten trends in America: “leadership development will take on new importance, as employers discover serious inadequacies. Senior executives who do not demonstrate leadership qualities will be asked to leave. Up and coming managers will be expected to learn and practice leadership skills before being moved into senior or even mid-level positions.” Oklahoma’s CareerTech system is not just about business and industry, which is a valuable partner of our system. It’s about student success. Whether the student is an adult or of high school age, CareerTech improves their quality of life and future through training and education. And, that’s something no one can take away from them. posted 7/30/03
For Newspaper publication
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That
may come as a surprise to many Oklahomans who think of CareerTech programs
as welding, cosmetology, computer technology, electronics, licensed
practical nursing, medical lab or automotive technology.
