Career & Technical Education: Technology Impact on Employment

Abstract

• Relationship between technological advances in the classroom and how it effects employability

• It is not just the goal for high school students to graduate, but make him or her employable

• Employment of students has increased however, enrollment has decreased, thus leading to inconclusive results.

Importance

• Career and Technical Education “ creates an environment that compels youth to be active learners and designers” (The HCZ project, 2008). This statement is the outline for what CTE stands for.

• According to a report Bezdek (2009), completed, the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry could generate more than 37 million jobs by 2030. With knowing that, CTE clusters need to prepare students for careers in computer sciences.

Importance (Cont.)

• If students do not leave high school with the knowledge he or she needs in the “real world” then what is the purpose for learning?

• If teachers do not provide what students need, students lose focus, dropout rates increase, and unemployment rates increase

Literature Review

• Completing [technology related] qualifications improve full-time employment outcomes (Brown, 2003)

• Career and Technical Education (CTE) provides workforce skills depending on the content area

Literature Review (Cont.)

• “Every single field you’ve been told is technology-proof -from wet welding to coffee shot barista- is being radically altered by technology” (Crotty, 2013)

• CTE advances student’s knowledge of technology and how to effectively use it is essential to get employed, in any career

Literature Review (Cont.)

• Higher education is not always necessary to be successful

• Only 21% of all jobs in the U.S require a bachelor’s degree or higher; more than half of recent graduates are working in an occumation that does not require a college degree(Crotty, 2013)

Research Question

Does the increase in the use of technology in the Career and Technical Education classrooms affect employment rates for students entering a specific vocation?

Methodology and Data

• Surveys conducted asking various questions – Employment– Education/ major– Military

• Data beginning with 2010 graduates• Data ending with 2012 graduates

Methodology and Data (cont.)

1%

18%

81%

2010

ApprenticeshipEmloyedOther

Methodology and Data (cont.)

2010

4%

24%

71%

2011

ApprenticeshipEmloyedOther

Methodology and Data (cont.)

2010

2%

28%

70%

2012

ApprenticeshipEmloyedOther

Findings

• Increase from 18%-28% in student employment in his or her field

• Decrease of enrollment from 170 students to 135

• Inconclusive due to the fluctuation in enrollment

Conclusion

• Inconclusive due to the fluctuation in enrollment

• More and more jobs need vocational skills

• The first step to making an impact on conclusive employment results is impacting enrollment

References

• Bezdek, R. H. (2009) Green collar jobs in the U.S. and Colorado: Economic drives for the 21st century. Retrieved from ases.org/images/stories /ASES/ pdfs/CO_Jobs_Rpt_Jon2009_symmary.pdf

• Bottoms, G. (2008) A vision for high schools: Joining academic and technicalstudies to promote more powerful learning. Integrating CTE and Academics, (Nov/Dec), 1.

 • Brown, B. L. (2003) The benefit of career and technical education: Trends and issues alert (Report no. ED-99-CO-

0013). Washington, DC: Office of Education Research and Improvement. Retrieved from ERIC database. (E0481326)

•  Crotty, J.M. (2013, May 21). Deal high school graduate: Everything you’ve been told is false. Forbes, Retrieved from http://WWW.Forbes.com/ site.jamesmarshallcrotty/2013/05/21/dear-high-school-graduate-everything-you’ve-been-told-is-false-2/

•  Gasper, P. (2013) Ever’s education budget request would boost math, science, technology, and career-readiness opportunities for all students (DPI-NR 2013-03 B) Wisconsin Department of Education Retrieved from http://news.dp.wi.gov/files/eis/pdf/dpinr2013_03p.

 • The HCZ project pipeline: High school. (2008). Retrieved from http://www. hcz.org/programs/high-school