Career TEchnical AND Adult Education News

May 7-11 is In-Demand Jobs Week, when communities, educators and businesses focus on the jobs, industries and skills that currently are driving Ohio’s economy. The week encourages educators, job seekers, and students to all come together to learn more about the many jobs and careers that are in-demand in the state.

Schools and educators can take part by planning events that inspire students to explore these careers in their local communities. Watch this video to learn more, and visit the In-Demand Jobs Week webpage to find resources, including the planning guide for educators. 

Students and their parents, as well as current job-seekers, can also visit the webpage to learn more about the hundreds of in-demand jobs. From accounting to engineering, administrative positions and veterinary technicians, this is a great opportunity to learn what skills and qualifications are needed for different positions and discover new career opportunities you may not have considered before.

Educators, community members and job-seekers can view all the week's events on the Facebook event page.

Nancy Luce, Upper Valley Career Center Superintendent, and Jamey Palma, Career Technical Director at Massillon City Schools will join the Ohio ACTE officer team on Sept. 1, 2018.  Beginning Sept. 1,  Nancy will serve as President Elect for one year, and then President for one year and then Past President of Ohio ACTE.  Jamey will serve a two-year term as Ohio ACTE treasurer.   They join the current Ohio ACTE officers, click here.  

Terms change Sept. 1, 2018 when Nick Weldy, Miami Valley Career Center Superintendent will become Ohio ACTE President, after serving this year as President Elect.

Read more about Nancy and Jamey's background here.

Barb Wagner was named the 2018 Bill Ruth Award Winner from the Ohio ACTE PACE Division on April 10 during the PACE Annual Conference Bill Ruth Awards program.  Longtime adult director at Upper Valley Career Center, Barb passed away July 13, 2017.
Barb started out as a Home Economics teacher, after teaching for several years and serving as K-8 and High School Principals, she became the Director for Adult Workforce Education at Greene County Career Center in Xenia. After serving at Green County she became the Adult Division Director at Upper Valley Career Center in Piqua.  Barb retired in 2017 with the intention of (as Barb put it; focusing on organic heirloom gardening, raising chickens, wide open spaces and spending time with her family). She was always a great advocate for Adult Workforce Education and shared her talents and expertise by being an active member of many committees for OACTE-PACE, the Ohio Board of Regents, and ODHE, according to her colleagues.  Barb was an inspiration to students, staff and colleagues and is greatly missed by everyone who knew her.

Scott Nail, Adult Director at Upper Valley Career Center (right) and Barb Wagner's husband accepted the Bill Ruth Award at the April 10 Bill Ruth Award Program.

Other Award winners honored:
OACTE-PACE Division - Pacesetter Award:
Recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership or innovative program achievements through service to Ohio ACTE.
2018 Awardees:
Tiffany Thayer, Financial Aid Officer, Ehove Career Center
Recognized for her willingness to step forward and guide the financial aid and student service groups at the annual spring and summer conferences. She goes above and beyond for both her school’s financial aid recipients and her fellow financial aid peers. The work she does to coordinate and pull together the financial aid training at our conferences demonstrate her leadership and are very much appreciated as they help make all our programs stronger.

Lauren Massie, Adult Director, C-TEC Career and Technology Education Centers
As a new Adult Director, Lauren was recognized for taking a lead on getting our Ohio Technical Center’s in front of our legislatures. Her knowledge of the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education have proved very helpful in the work of defining OCTs. Her leadership in legislative initiatives, and active participation in the PACE conference planning, combined with her willingness to share best practices with colleagues; demonstrate her commitment to service for Ohio ACTE. She provides a positive example for customized training, career programs and secondary partnerships that help strengthen and support Adult Career and Technical Education throughout Ohio.

OACTE-PACE Division – Distinguished Service Award:
Recognizes an individual who has made the highest contribution to improvement, promotion, development and progress of career technical and adult education.
2018 Awardee:
Tiffany Thayer, Financial Aid Officer, Ehove Career Center
Tiffany was recognized for the professional commitment that she has shown throughout the years in assisting the PACE Division members. She is always present at conferences and has ideas that contribute to the success of Ohio Technical Centers. She keeps up-to-date and is constantly aware of changes that affect our work and shares that necessary information with other members throughout the state.

In a recent article reporting on a study looking at the characteristics of CTE students, researchers found that students who take career-tech education courses were more likely to graduate from high school, earn more by their mid-20s, and be more likely to work full-time by young adulthood than peers who were not enrolled in CTE courses.

The federal study tracked 15,000 10^th graders from 2002 to 2012, and found that certain stereotypes about CTE students were simply not true. The study also found that students who take CTE courses work harder and have stronger non-cognitive skills, also known as “soft skills.”

In summary, the study states, “CTE course takers have on average higher non-cognitive skills, compared to otherwise-similar students. This conclusion belies the image of these students as unmotivated and unfocused, and it belies the stereotype that CTE programs recruit substandard students. To assess the true value of CTE programs, one should look beyond their participants' test scores."

A recording of the Department’s OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal webinar from April 6 is available online. The webinar highlighted how the OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal was developed, the process a student must follow to achieve the seal, and what steps schools need to take to validate and issue the seal on transcripts and diplomas

MakerMinded is a new competition aimed at getting students interested in the STEM field and elevating their classroom experience with hands-on activities. Students visit the MakerMinded website and choose from a list of STEM- and manufacturing-related activities and programs, post their participation on Social Media, track their points, and earn prizes at the end of the school year for participating. For career-tech educators, MakerMinded is the perfect platform to showcase all that students are already doing, and help them earn prizes for their hard work and dedication.  MakerMinded has also introduced teachers to new ideas and activities to further complement classroom learning.

Juliann Trevorrow, Project Lead the Way teacher in Alliance City Schools, is already using MakerMinded. “I have found that students are better able to reflect on their learning and be proud of their work when it is being published for others to see,” she said in an interview with Ohio STEM Learning Network. Her students have already completed several activities, including participation in an engineering design challenge by creating a robotic arm, holding a Siemens STEM Day, building a marshmallow tower, participating in Edheads, and creating a STEM Club.

Tevorrow says MakerMinded is so successful because of her school district’s “all-in approach.” She is invested in the program, as well as receives support from the school district administration. She highly recommends the program to other career-tech teachers, and says the activities have enriched her curriculum without costing a lot of money. “Most of the activities can be done on a limited budget and as enrichment to activities already completed in class. So don’t be afraid to jump in!”

Read more about the MakerMinded competition.

 - originally published by Ohio STEM Learning Network

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on March 23 announced new details on the Federal Commission on School Safety the President appointed her to chair. The Commission has been charged with quickly providing meaningful and actionable recommendations to keep students safe at school. Accordingly, the Commission will be comprised of department heads whose agencies have jurisdiction over key school safety issues: Secretary DeVos, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen.

The first organizational meeting was Wednesday, March 28 in Washington, D.C. to discuss the scope of the Commission's work, timeline, locations for meetings and topics for field hearings.

Input from and meetings with students, parents, teachers, school safety personnel, administrators, law enforcement officials, mental health professionals, school counselors, security professionals and other related stakeholders will be critical to the Commission's work.

Additional details on stakeholder engagement both in Washington and across the country will follow the meeting on March 28.

"Over the last several weeks, I have held meetings with parents and non-profit organizations, who in the wake of tragedy, have leapt into action and have focused on finding solutions to school violence," said Secretary DeVos. "The Commission's task will be to hear their ideas and the ideas of anyone who is focused on finding solutions to bolster school safety across the country. We want to highlight what's working so that every school has access to solutions that will keep students and teachers safe."

Read more:  Click here

Schools are invited to join Ohio ACTE as Organizational Affiliates, which provides membership in Ohio ACTE for all teachers, administrators, School Board members, staff and others involved with the delivery of career-technical education.

"This option allows Schools to affiliate with Ohio ACTE and provide benefits to staff," said Christine Gardner, Ohio ACTE Executive Director.  "I am glad the Ohio ACTE Executive Board added this optional membership for schools.  The individual memberships are still available," she said.

All members in all categories receive the same benefits, Gardner said.  This includes discounts to events and professional development, the monthly e-news and other benefits.

Click here for additional information about this new Membership!

Please email me at christine@ohioacte.org to get started!

The Ohio Department of Education and Ohio College Tech Prep are planning six regional SuccessBound conferences for schools, businesses and community leaders who want to begin forming partnerships to develop Ohio’s next generation of workers. These regional events are geared toward helping participants take first steps to engage with partners from different sectors to build career pathways, work-based learning experiences and other career preparation opportunities for students. The conference will offer participants opportunities to network with potential partners also interested in ensuring a strong workforce.Six regional conferences for schools, businesses and community leaders who want to begin forming partnerships to develop Ohio’s next generation of workers.

These regional events are geared toward helping participants take first steps to engage with partners from different sectors to build career pathways, work-based learning experiences and other career preparation opportunities for students. The conference will offer participants opportunities to network with potential partners also interested in ensuring a strong workforce. Register here.