ACTE's Industry Connect Blog

TFS Founder's Perspective: Who is Gen Z?

By Mark C. Perna and TFS

For so long it’s been all about the Millennials — but their younger siblings, born roughly starting in 1996, are the next generational cohort coming up the pike. Generation Z (also known as the Homeland Generation, iGeneration, Post-Millennial Generation, and more) shares many characteristics with Generation Y, but they’re also distinct. This is an exciting time to be a CTE educator, because what we deliver intersects exactly with what today’s young people are looking for. Let’s look at some of the traits, opportunities, and messages that will help reach this next generation.

The Trait: Generation Z worries about the future. They’ve been growing up in a post-9/11 world and many have witnessed the struggles of parents and older siblings following the economic downturn of 2008. As a result, this generation is motivated to achieve economic security. 
The Opportunity: It’s imperative to focus on the unique competitive advantage that CTE delivers — getting that credential/college credit while still in high school, gaining experience in their field of interest, saving money and investing purposefully in further education, and more.
The Message: CTE gives you an edge!

The Trait: Generation Z is hardworking. They’re going to work earlier (often encouraged to do so by their parents), looking to gain experience and start creating the economic security they’re seeking.
The Opportunity: We need to proclaim that CTE helps students enter the workforce with marketable skills that can be built upon through further education and work experience.
The Message: CTE can help you get a great job sooner!

The Trait: 81% of Gen Z believes a college education is necessary to gain a good career. It is estimated that 1 in 2 Gen Zers will be university educated (compared to 1 in 3 Millennials and 1 in 4 Gen Xers).
The Opportunity: It’s essential to position CTE as both a college and career bound track — because that’s exactly what it is. Contrary to the old stigmas, CTE is not just for students who don’t plan to go to college. Many of today’s leading CTE programs help students make the most of their college experience.
The Message: CTE equips you for college and beyond!

The Trait: Independent and innovative, Generation Z is attracted to the freedom and responsibility of entrepreneurship.
The Opportunity: The real-world skills that CTE imparts are crucial for many young entrepreneurs. Internships, apprenticeships, maker spaces, and other hands-on opportunities give students the chance to experience the field they’re interested in.
The Message: CTE gives you the tools to be your own boss!

The Trait: Generation Z wants to change the world. While Millennials have sometimes been called “slacktivists” for their lack of follow-through on social issues, Gen Z is showing signs of vigorous involvement and volunteerism for the causes they believe in.
The Opportunity: CTE offers many ways to serve the community, from community building and beautifying projects to food, clothing, and blood drives. It also gives students real skills to make a difference for others — giving them something to give back.
The Message: CTE is all about making our community a better place for everyone!

These are powerful messages to weave throughout your instructional time, giving relevance to the skills you’re imparting. Now is the time to start talking about the competitive advantage, the early career skills, the college pathway, the entrepreneurship tools, and the volunteer opportunities that your program opens up. The priorities that drive the younger generations should drive our instructional narrative — telling the story of CTE’s value and helping Generation Z achieve their peak potential. For this generation, the hands-on experience of CTE is essential to the world they want to build. Let’s help them build it!

This piece originally appeared at http://www.beawade.com/founders-perspective-gen-z/

Healthcare, Manufacturing and Trade among Fastest-Growing CTE Sectors

 

by Clayton Franklin, Partner/Vice President of Brand Management, CEV Multimedia

Many Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs address the growing needs of highly specialized industries and teach students specific technical skills by giving them the chance to participate in strong educational and career pathways. CTE programs help students keep pace with increasing economic demands and give them the 21st century skills that will prepare them to enter a competitive workforce.

The infographic above illustrates the increasing need for comprehensive training opportunities in the industries that are projected to grow the most in the next decade. For instance, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) notes:

• The top 10 hardest-to-fill jobs include skilled trade positions, while healthcare occupations currently make up 12 of the 20 fastest growing trade occupations.
• There are one million jobs open in the trade, transportation and utilities sectors, and 315,000 jobs in manufacturing.
• Middle-skill jobs that require education and training beyond a high school diploma, but less than a bachelor’s degree, make up a significant part of the economy and workforce.

As workforce needs and industry technology evolve, CTE will continue to provide a solid foundation for education programs around the country, and will play an even greater role in educating the next generation of skilled workers.

ACTE shows that the average high school graduation rate for students concentrating in CTE is 93 percent, compared to a rate of 80 percent for all students, and that 81 percent of high school dropouts say that relevant real-world learning opportunities would have kept them in school. With the expansion of the workforce, middle schools, high schools and postsecondary education institutions have quickly incorporated new and relevant tools, such as easy-to-use technology and industry-backed certifications, into CTE programs to ensure students succeed in their field of study and career path.

To address growing workforce and training needs, iCEV, an online learning platform, offers pre-built, practical CTE courses, curriculum resources and demonstrations. These resources are developed by industry professionals to prepare students for high-skill, high-demand careers in fields such as agriculture science, business, marketing, information technology, family & consumer sciences, health science, law, public safety, security, architecture, construction, transportation, manufacturing and more.

iCEV further offers students the opportunity to earn industry-backed certifications as they complete their regular coursework on the online platform – improving students’ marketability when entering college or the workforce. The certifications available on iCEV are endorsed by industry professionals and companies like Southwest Airlines, Elanco, American Meat Science Association, Bayer CropScience and more.

For more information about CTE curricula and certifications that CTE programs nationwide are using to prepare students most effectively, visit www.icevonline.com.

Aviation Education and the Opportunities it Presents

                

By Cindy Hasselbring, Senior Director, High School Aviation Initiative, AOPA

“I’m getting out of the airplane. Let me out at the terminal building.” These words from my flight instructor meant he had decided I was ready to solo for the first time. I panicked a little, and tried to argue with him, but to no avail. So I pulled up next to the terminal building where he got out of the small Cessna 152 we had been flying. While taxiing by myself for the first time, I realized I had a choice to make—to be nervous or to be “pilot in command” and trust that my hard work had prepared me for this moment.  As I lifted off, I realized I was ready, and this was going to be the start of a lifetime of adventures in the sky.

I was already a high school math teacher when I learned to fly. The experience taught me what it was like to be a learner again, and gave me the chance to see real-world applications of the mathematics I taught. There is no truer test of leadership and responsibility than piloting an aircraft. As a pilot, you must communicate with the control tower and other pilots, anticipate challenges and prepare to devise alternative solutions, and use critical thinking skills to make decisions on the ground and in the air.  

I have since realized that exposing students to aviation and teaching them leadership and decision-making skills is priceless in helping them to prepare for bright futures filled with options. Not only are the skills developed in flight training highly sought after by employers of all types, but there is a critical demand in aviation career fields specifically. Boeing’s 2016 Pilot and Technician Outlook report estimates that 112,000 new pilots and 118,000 new aviation technicians will be needed in North America by the year 2035.

Students planning cross country flights at Raisbeck Aviation High School, Seattle, WA

To help address this need, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the largest community of aviators in the United States, is dedicated to helping high school students discover rewarding aviation careers. AOPA helps schools establish and grow aviation STEM programs by sharing best practices and building curricula that follow career and technical education pathways in piloting, aerospace engineering, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and aviation technology.  These new courses are being developed in partnership with Purdue University and will be available to interested high schools in the fall of 2018. This program is part of a larger High School Aviation initiative that offers high school students flight training scholarships as well. For educators, AOPA hosts an annual aviation STEM symposium in November each year. More information about our curriculum, scholarships, and symposium can be found at https://youcanfly.aopa.org/high-school or by emailing us at [email protected].

High school students getting a pre-flight briefing, Frederick, MD