I just had my hair cut at a local chain salon, where I struck up a conversation with the girl working on me. She graduated last year from the school at which I work, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County, where she studied Cosmetology.
We talked about the negative stigma attached to career technical education. It's a stigma promoted by parents and supported by some academic educators. All I can say is that these people are extremely uninformed. Career Schools are sometimes viewed as a place where kids can get out of the classroom and goof off. They are looked upon as training facilities for jobs that don't require expertise. Nothing could be further from the truth!
The fact is that career schools are the perfect stepping stone to further education. Career schools work with colleges to provide advanced credit for CTE graduates. Most times, students from CTE programs do better in the career market than many of their counterparts who went directly to college. I've discussed this before.
People may look at Cosmetology is simply "doing hair". In fact, the Cosmetology program is rigorous and demanding, and it directly interfaces with the academics the student receives at their home school. This is true of all programs at career education schools.
Career Technical Education works.....it is that simple.
I think it's about students finding their spark and getting as many experiences as possible that will develop them for the workforce. Career schools are often the launch pad for this!
Would love to have you join us at the national BigTent Conference as we talk about what youth need to succeed. http://www.BigTentConference.com.
Posted by: Sheena Abraham | 10/15/2010 at 01:52 PM