On September 15, the House Committee on Small Business, Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development held a hearing titled, “Back to School, Back to Startups: Supporting Youth Apprenticeship, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development,” featuring ACTE Region V Vice President Shani Watkins.
During her testimony, Watkins described the CTE programs offered at her school and her varied business partnerships, including how those partnerships provide students with access to paid work-based learning experiences and connections to apprenticeships and future careers.
Watkins was asked questions by several members of the subcommittee, including Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO) and Roger Williams (R-TX), about her experiences as the director of West Sound Technical Skills Center in Bremerton, Washington.
Rep. Williams asked how businesses can form partnerships with CTE programs, and how West Sound Technical Skills Center is preparing students for in-demand careers.
“A huge part of that goes back to what parents understand, and what our typical rhetoric has been, which is college for all,” said Watkins. “So, I think a big part of this goes back to exposing students at younger ages to a variety of careers that go beyond what is typically addressed in an academic environment.”
“It's like a stool with three prongs - [CTE] has government support, it has business support and it has school support.”
Rep. Crow asked Watkins what barriers students are facing to accessing CTE and work-based learning experiences.
“First of all, transportation is a huge challenge for us,” observed Watkins. “We are very rural. We have students that travel an hour and a half one way each day to participate in CTE programs with us because they are not offered in their areas, and those students have less access to viable careers in their industries locally.”
“We have a lot of students that have to support their own families, and so that creates a barrier when internship opportunities and work-based learning opportunities are non-paid.”
The full hearing can be viewed at the link here.
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