Yesterday, President Obama delivered the commencement address to the graduating class of 2014 from Worcester Technical High School in Worcester, Massachusetts. The speech, which is available to watch here, touched on a broad range of topics including the need for community engagement in education and the Obama Administration's ConnectEd initiative, while emphasizing the need for employability skills and CTE in secondary schools.
During his address, President Obama stated:
"Over the past four years, some of you have learned how to take apart an engine and put it back together again. Some of you have learned how to run a restaurant, or build a house, or fix a computer. And all of you are graduating today not just with a great education, but with the skills that will let you start your careers and skills that will make America stronger."
The president is not the first high-ranking government official to visit Worcester Tech - Secretary of Education Arne Duncan paid the school a visit in March for a town hall-style discussion of CTE with members of the school's staff and community. Worcester is one of many examples of high-quality CTE program models from across the country, and it's encouraging to see the Administration placing greater emphasis on the importance of CTE in preparing students for success in college and careers.
On a related note, Worcester Tech's principal, Sheila Harrity, received the honor of National Principal of the Year and is a keynote speaker at the upcoming 2014 Best Practices and Innovations Conference. To learn more about the conference, click here.
Comments