RE: Workforce Preparation & Business Linkages

There is a lot of stuff in Mr. Kreiger's message.  I want to agree with the need for a much improved "CTE" system, but there is likely to be some disagreement with what CTE means.  CTE is apparently the California Department of Education's latest euphemism for all things in Career and Vocational Education including Industrial Technology Education, Career and Tech Prep, Occupational/Vocational programs, and so on.

Of these, ITE and Occupational/Vocational approaches are proven and well developed.  They often are based on existing and strong linkages to industry and business.  They have deteriorated under neglect for three decades of "college focussed educational planning", but they work and they can and should be rebuilt and re-invested in the Master Plan.

They also need reform:  Much of the work to be done, along with a status study of the situation in ITE in our state, is available in the CDE report:  "Building for Tomorrow:  Industrial and Technology Education in California".  This should be downloaded and read by all of us.  You can get it at:
>>http://www.citea.org/images/resources/Building_for_Tomorrow.pdf

Preparing for a workforce cannot be done simply by listening to people from business and observing them on the job.  There is a lot of basic technical knowledge and skill that we must provide along with internships and liaisons.