Career Technical Education Foundation Sonoma County

Posted by Rich Randolph 
on Aug 01, 2015
 

Education and Industry Partner to Prepare

 
 
CTE is educational alphabet soup for Career Technical Education.  Sonoma County is fortunate to be served by a progressive, collaborative local foundation, CTE Foundation Sonoma County.
Its mission is aligning education and industry to strengthen economic development and student achievement.  Founded in CTE Sonoma County currently has 20 grants operating, between county high schools and public and private agencies, with combined budgets of $553,453.
Employers work with students through the foundation to develop relevant curriculum, building the various skills to produce competitive marketplace advantages.  County employers are well aware of 21st century global competition and are eager to participate in improving their local labor supply.
A key distinction between the former vocational education and career technical education is the latter’s recognition of readiness for both academic as well as post secondary career paths.   CTE is known for it’s academic rigor and diversity of paths:  16 career clusters and 79 paths are available.   Director Goodacre cited the projection that of the 46.8 million jobs forecast by 2018, 30% would require some college, or a two-year associate degree.  Additionally, when questioned about their dropping out of high school, 81% of former students claimed they would have stayed in school if they had experienced relevant, real world learning opportunities.
The partnerships between industry leaders in the county such as Kaiser Permanente, Sonoma Clean Power and Sonoma Wine Country Weekend provide excellent opportunities to explore career options.  STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Math subjects are incorporated into CTE Foundation Grant criteria.  Hands on learning such as Physics Make at Piner High School and Analy’s Project Make challenge student’s design, engineering and manufacturing abilities.  In the collaborative processes involved in producing their projects, students also exercise written and verbal communication skills.
Strong Schools, Strong Economy and Strong Community align through Career Technical Education Foundation Sonoma County.  Whether you are an employer, student, or county resident hoping for a competent workforce, CTE is in your future.
For more information you may visit them online at www.ctesonomacounty.org
Director Karen Goodacre may be reached at kgoodacre@ctesonomacounty.org or
707-537-1679
 
 
 
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