Up to the Challenge: The Role of Career and Technical Education and 21st Century Skills in College and Career Readiness

I recently had the opportunity to meet Tim Magner, Executive Director for The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. We discussed how the United States faces a “skills imperative” and how college and career readiness should be the new direction for K–12 education.

He later shared the following publication from The Partnership for 21st Century Skills and I have listed a few of the highlights from the publication. I hope you will take the time to read the document in it's entirety as it demonstrates the importance of CTE in developing a student's college and career readiness skills. Please read:

 

Up to the Challenge: The Role of Career and Technical Education and 21st Century Skills in College and Career Readiness (follow the link to read the entire publication)

Highlights
Three developments make it possible to anticipate better student outcomes that are more tightly aligned to postsecondary, business and civic needs in the future:

1. Consensus that the foundational academic knowledge needed for postsecondary education and for careers is virtually the same, with growing recognition that academic skills, and employability and technical knowledge and skills, are essential as well.
2. Widespread agreement that lifelong learning and “learning how to learn” are key drivers of success in college, careers and civic life
3. Collaborative efforts in states, districts and communities to strengthen their collective capacity to deliver results that matter

Shared understandings

• All students need to be college- and career-ready.
• College and career readiness requires both knowledge and skills. It’s time to abandon the false dichotomy between knowledge and skills.
• How students learn has a decided impact on what they learn

 Action agenda:

• Emphasize opportunities to master 21st century skills.
• Prioritize strategies to engage students in learning and meet the needs of students with different learning styles.
• Prepare students for STEM occupations and other high-growth, high-wage careers.
• Give students opportunities to earn valuable credentials.
• Foster productive relationships between students and teachers, employers and higher education.
• Support transitions to postsecondary education.
• Employ best practices for college and career readiness.

Again, I hope you will read: Up to the Challenge: The Role of Career and Technical Education and 21st Century Skills in College and Career Readiness!