SAN JOSE, CA – This February, Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) is joining schools throughout the country to honor Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month.
"This month is designed to help create public awareness of the CTE programs that are available across the country, and to ensure that everyone understands the role CTE plays in readying the future workforce," says Jeff Schmidt, CTE Coordinator at the SCCOE.
The CTE Program at SCCOE provides industry-linked programs and services that enable all individuals to reach their career goals to receive economic self-sufficiency, compete in the global marketplace, and contribute to Santa Clara County's economy.
SCCOE provides resources to help districts offer high-quality offerings in Career and Technical Education. Working with national, state, and local interest groups to bring significant education initiatives to the county, and provide support to districts and teachers throughout the state to ensure that educators have the tools necessary to keep students competitive and ready for the work-force.
"We help support legislation to ensure that all students have access to CTE, like the recent
AB 288 which established a college and Career Access Pathways partnership between school districts and community colleges and expanded opportunities for students who may not be college-bound," says Schmidt.
SCCOE students enrolled in the special education, alternative education, and Opportunity Youth Academy programs have access to CTE programs. CTE concentrates on 16
career clusters, which represent many potential occupations and industries. Many of the fast-growing jobs through 2024 will be in CTE fields according to
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
"At
Opportunity Youth Academy (OYA), an SCCOE program, CTE is one of our two major pathways. Students who participate in our program may focus on pursuing a degree at a four-year college or career training. Students who complete CTE programs are ready to work. CTE is important, it gives students a future, and shows them viable opportunities they might not realize are out there," says Phil Morales, OYA Principal.
"Our program offers students age 16-24 an opportunity to return to school and obtain their diploma for free. Many of the students in OYA are young parents, living on their own, or in foster care. Being financially stable, in this county is not easy for anyone but students enrolled in CTE programs are much more likely to thrive," says Morales.
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The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) is a regional service agency that provides instructional and business services to the 31 school districts of Santa Clara County. The SCCOE serves students through special education programs, alternative schools, Head Start and State Preschool programs, migrant education, and Opportunity Youth Academy. The Office also provides curriculum support, staff development, and technology support and training directly to teachers and staff in schools countywide.