Joining a national movement to celebrate Career and Technical Education (CTE), Washtenaw Community College will host a number of events in February to highlight the value and accomplishments of CTE programs on our campus and across the country.
The CTE Month awareness campaign introduces students to CTE programs that prepare them for high-wage, high-demand careers in multiple industries, such as health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing and many more.
“In addition to increasing exposure and knowledge about CTE around the campus and the community, another focus during the month is to inform our current students of the value in learning cutting-edge skills that will position them for limitless career opportunities once they have earned their certificate or associate degree in a CTE program,” said Anthony Webster, the college’s CTE Student Success Specialist.
CTE encompasses many different types of education, from classroom learning to certification programs to work-based learning opportunities outside the classroom. Advance CTE, a national non-profit representing secondary and postsecondary CTE education leaders across the country, estimates that 12.5 million high school and college students are enrolled in CTE throughout the United States. Its research shows the high school graduation rate for CTE concentrators is about 90 percent, or 15 percent higher than the national average.
Washtenaw Community College offers degrees and/or certificates in 101 programs – ranging from 3D Automation to Welding – that are considered occupational by the State of Michigan.
Information about those programs and additional CTE-related resources can be found at wccnet.edu/cte.
WCC’s planned CTE events include:
- Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10: WCC is hosting regional state Skills USA competitions. High school students from around southeastern Michigan participating in Auto Service, Auto Body and Welding competitions in the college’s state-of-the-art labs will have an opportunity to learn more about WCC’s CTE programs.
- Tuesday, February 13: The college is inviting students, parents and the community to “Women in Information Technology Night,” which begins at 5:30 p.m. in Towsley Auditorium. The evening begins with a panel discussion on the urgency to expose more women to Information Technology. The panel will include WCC computer science faculty members Jin Bai and Michael Galea, along with Dr. Barbara Ciaramitario, a professor of Information Technology and Cybersecurity at Walsh College. The discussion will be followed by a viewing of the movie “Hidden Figures.” This event is free to all.
- Thursday, February 15: The college plans a CTE-themed outreach visit to the Harriet Street Community Center in Ypsilanti from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to engage the center’s users in discussion around CTE and programs that could suit their interests and passions.
- Webster and department representatives will operate a “CTE Awareness Hub” in multiple locations on campus throughout the month to provide resources and answer questions about CTE programs at WCC. A month-long social media campaign is also planned to help spread information throughout the community.
Tags: CTE, CTE Month, Community enrichment, February 2018, On The Record, ousearch_News_On The Record