Department Spotlights Importance of Career Planning
Nashville, TN – Career and Technical Education directors and students from across Tennessee gathered in Nashville this week to launch Career and Technical Education Month and promote the importance of college and career planning in schools. The CTE curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply core academic skills to a particular career path, such as marketing or the health sciences. The coalition honored non-profit organization EdAmerica for providing a free online college and career planning resource to students at more than 920 sites statewide.
“Offering students opportunities to apply academic skills to potential careers helps students see the relevance of education for their future success,” Deputy Education Commissioner Tim Webb said. “We know seeing this real-world connection is key to increasing graduation rates. Providing students with the information and skills they need and entrusting them to make decisions for themselves is pertinent to their development.”
EdAmerica’s Web site, powered by Kuder Career Planning System, allows school administrators to post announcements and recommended links for students and provides students with career interest tests, occupation exploration, and interview preparation tips. The free tool reinforces the CTE mission to provide students a rigorous course of study that prepares them to be competitive in a 21st century economy.
“We could not be more excited about the services that EdAmerica is providing for the students in Tennessee,” Assistant Commissioner for Career and Technical Education Ralph Barnett said. “This program is a valuable asset to helping students reach their occupational goals.”
During the 2005-2006 school year, 367,952 students participated in courses offered through CTE. For the first time, CTE is teaming with Teaching and Learning to train school counselors on the array of school and career options available to Tennessee students through the School Counselors Institute Feb. 12-13. For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.