Moving in the Right Direction

From electrical engineering to aeronautical re-manufacturing, career and technical education (CTE) plays an important role in helping students explore and pursue a career path in a wide variety of fields. Alex Wolff’s story is just one example.


While attending school in Santa Barbara, California, Alex enrolled in the Santa Barbara County Regional Occupational Program/CTE Electronic Technology course. That decision and the hands-on experience it provided led to a successful career in electrical engineering. As Alex explained:
 

The course emphasized basic design and application of electrical circuits, which could be applied to a number of professions, from electrical technicians to engineers, and everywhere in between …

It gave me a great introduction to the field, and encouraged me to become an electrical engineer. I have since graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and have a job as a Printed Circuit Assembly Engineer at Hewlett-Packard.

 
CTE has helped countless students like Alex realize the opportunities available to them—both in higher education and in the workforce—and acquire the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to seize them. That’s why Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA) introduced and the committee unanimously approved the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 5587).

The bipartisan bill will help more Americans acquire the tools they need to fill high-skilled, good-paying jobs through a number of reforms, such as measures to empower state and local leaders and improve alignment with in-demand jobs. These and other positive reforms will help more students write their own CTE success stories, and the bill continues to gain broad support from groups representing students, schools, and employers. Just last week, the Aeronautical Repair Station Association wrote:
 

By making technical education a priority, Congress can help better prepare workers for well-paying careers, ensure that U.S. companies are able to seize new business opportunities and make the United States more competitive in the global economy. Businesses, schools and government officials must collectively commit to tackling the technical education crisis at all levels, and you can take a great step towards enabling that commitment by supporting and swiftly passing H.R. 5587.

 
Enacting H.R. 5587 will help more individuals gain the quality education and hands-on experience that is essential to succeeding in today’s workforce. Just like Alex did.

To read other CTE success stories, click here.

For more information about the bill, click here.

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