This article explores the growing importance of Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools in New York City and beyond. Focusing on the Bronx Design and Construction Academy, it highlights how CTE programs empower students with practical skills and academic knowledge, providing them with pathways to successful careers.
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For most New Yorkers, high school doesn’t involve welding or building bathrooms, but for the hundreds of students at the Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools, it’s the modern evolution of what used to be called, sometimes derisively, vocational education. While more than 60,000 CTE students each year in NYC gain a practical education in a trade, they also learn advanced math and the skills that will power the industries of tomorrow. “I always thought that construction workers were dirty,” said Bronx Design and Construction Academy senior Issa Samake in an interview with the. Before attending the school, he believed that construction workers and those in the skilled trades “were doing a lot of dirty work, for not enough pay. I felt like people who go into construction are the people who don’t have any other choices in life—they have to go to construction to make ends meet,” he added. Publisher and my father, Wilbert’Bill' Tatum, before me. We've been reporting the news of the day from a Black perspective since 1909 -A first-generation American whose parents hail from Mali, Samake, along with his classmates, takes traditional academic and even Advanced Placement classes while focusing on one of five areas: Plumbing, Electrical, Carpentry, Architecture, and HVAC. Soon after starting his first year, Samake’s opinions about the skilled trades began to change. “I see it as hard work, and I also see it as a skill. And you need to be smart,” he said. “One of the first things I learned when I came to the school was that no matter what trade you do, what type of construction you do…you’re gonna have to be good at math.” He has focused on plumbing in high school and, thanks to the school’s state-of-the-art facilities, has learned how to build and repair bathrooms for home and commercial spaces, among other skills. In 2020, CTE schools in New York City had an 86% graduation rate, according to the Department of Education, compared to the average graduation rate for all high schools in NYC. “We’re trying to, at all points in time, seamlessly integrate the academic requirements with the technical requirements, so that ultimately, when a student graduates from our school system, they have a core set of skills that make them both college- and career-ready soon after they graduate,” said executive director of Career Connected Learning in the NYC Public Schools. “has emphasized the importance of reimagining learning so that we are connecting a young person’s passion and purpose to long-term economic security.” For decades, American educators have preached that the primary path to economic security is a four-year college degree, and many Americans still pursue that track. But the reality is that a college degree isn’t the only path to success. “College is supposed to prepare individuals for their chosen career. If a student wants to be an engineer or go into the medical field, a step to those industries college, so they have to go that pathway. However, for many other careers, the pathway is not college,” said Anthony Johnson, one of Samake’s teachers, in an interview. “They can from high school…directly into a career.” Johnson noted that some individuals are unemployed after finishing college, and their degree has nothing to do with the career they choose. “So what was the value of going to college for that person?” For students like Samake, an internship is an important step in their path. As part of his education, he spent months working at. Bob Bieder’s family has run the company for 99 years and he believes that being an industry partner by offering internships has huge benefits for the students, the community, and his business. “The kids that have come from this program have been amazing,” Bieder said in an interview. “This program affords them the opportunity to make a great living. Almost all have gone on to jobs in the industry and many of the kids come from lower-income areas.” He also noted that “there is a huge need for qualified people. Right now, I have so many contractors who tell me on a regular basis that they can’t find anyone to work for them.” Bieder said with pride that many of his former interns now come through his doors as customers who are working in the industry. Being qualified as a skilled tradesperson can make a huge difference to the career prospects of many students
CTE Career And Technical Education Skilled Trades Bronx Design And Construction Academy New York City
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