President Obama recently delivered a commencement address to the graduating class of 2015 from Lake Area Technical Institute (LATI) in Watertown, South Dakota. LATI serves more than 2,000 students enrolled in 29 programs, including fields like Computer Information Systems, Financial Services and Robotics. LATI has gained national recognition for its highly successful program outcomes - 98 percent of graduates from LATI are employed or enrolled in continued education, and they enjoy nearly 50 percent higher earnings than the national average.
During his address, President Obama emphasized the tenets of successful CTE programs that have helped to drive LATI’s success:
This is not an accident. It's the result of a relentless focus on teaching real-world skills that lead directly to a job. In your time here, you've done hands-on work with companies across the upper Midwest. Employers even help design the curriculum. You work direct with the tools and the technology that you'll encounter in the workforce -- from car engines to welding equipment to your new MakerSpace, with 3D printers that were actually built by Lake Area students. And your instructors haven't just taught you new skills -- they've helped place you in new careers.
President Obama also used the address as an opportunity to emphasize the importance of his America’s College Promise initiative, which would provide free community college tuition for qualifying students. He noted that postsecondary CTE programs like LATI can provide economic mobility for students that are willing to work hard while overcoming challenges posed to business and industry by the skills gap. Obama reiterated that, “In just two years, schools like this can change lives, change careers, grow our economy. It can change our country. All of us are better off when our businesses have access to the best-trained workers in the world.”
The links under the heading Professional Development isn't working.
Posted by: Paula Hanger | 05/29/2015 at 09:13 AM
Thanks for the heads-up, Paula! We've fixed the issue.
Posted by: Catherine Imperatore, ACTE | 05/29/2015 at 10:27 AM