Meet Rob Griffin. When Rob began school at Dalton High in Whitfield County, Georgia, he became interested in a series of engineering courses the school offered as an elective. It was these courses that would start Rob on the path to a fulfilling and successful career.
Like many career and technical education (CTE) programs, the drafting and engineering coursework Rob took at Dalton helped him gain the knowledge, skills, and experience he would need to succeed in the future. Rob went on to receive internships at a local architectural firm and at a utilities company while he was still in high school. He would also go on to continue his education at Georgia Tech.
Today, Rob works at one of the nation’s leading steel fabricators where he has managed more than 30 projects for the company. And he credits the CTE courses he took in high school with helping him achieve that success, saying:
I can directly trace many of the skills I use on a daily basis back to the classes and opportunities that Dalton High’s technology program offered …
[Those courses] taught me how to use AutoCAD and 3D modeling software; how to sketch and read construction drawing; and how to analyze, plan, and execute projects from start to finish, often as part of a team.
Rob’s is one of many CTE success stories and an example of how CTE programs can provide students the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to compete in the workforce. Rob’s story is also one reason the Education and the Workforce Committee continues working to advance the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 5587). Introduced by Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA) and approved unanimously by the committee, the bipartisan bill will help more Americans acquire the tools they need to fill high-skilled, in-demand jobs by:
- Empowering state and local community leaders;
- Improving alignment with in-demand jobs;
- Increasing transparency and accountability; and
- Ensuring a limited federal role.
These CTE reforms will help build a stronger, more competitive workforce and help more Americans like Rob pursue their own success stories.
For more information about the bill, click here.
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