Running head: [PREPARING OUR FUTURE FOR LEADERSHIP] 1

Preparing Our Future for Leadership

James Ross

University of Idaho
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Abstract

As a future CTE educator, I prepare lessons with real-world applications to prepare our students

for the readiness that they will need to enter the workforce. The skills that students will need to

be prepared for in this process extends further beyond classroom practices like managing budgets

and reviewing job interview methods. CTE has been preparing students for decades in a vast

number of various occupational fields, though its success also depends on the current status of

the economy. A large role of the success of career and technical education depends on preparing

our students for a thriving job market. There is some guidance in my research and helps support

my theory that more work is needed beyond a classroom setting. Stone details different methods

that this could be achieved. Community-based learning encourages students to participate in

teamwork and team-building skills, work-based learning offers internships and apprenticeships

to help students learn the trade in their field of interest and career-technical student organizations

(CTSOs) inspires students to participate in activities that encourages personal development and

leadership skills.

Keywords: CTE, career technical education, job market. CTSO, leadership

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Preparing Our Future for Leadership

As a future CTE educator, I prepare lessons with real-world applications to prepare our

students for the readiness that they will need to enter the workforce. Castellano, Stringfield, &

Stone (2003) defines it as, “Career and technical education (CTE) is that part of the American

high school that provides the link between the immediate needs of the labor market and the needs

of young people to become productive citizens after high school” (as cited in Stringfield &

Stone, 2017, p. 166). The skills that students will need to be prepared for in this process extends

further beyond classroom practices like managing budgets and reviewing job interview methods.

In my research, I investigate how career and technical education can be enhanced to be more

personalized to broaden the possibilities of success for each unique individual.

The Labor Market

I started my research reading an article by Sam Stringfield, former University of

Cincinnati Director of Education, and Dr. James R. Stone III, Director of the National Research

Center for Career & Technical Education. Their article, The Labor Market Imperative for CTE:

Changes and Challenges for the 21st Century (Stringfield & Stone, 2017), offers not only a look

into the history of career and technical education, but uses science and social theories to give

insight into its role in the future of the labor market. CTE first appeared in the education system

in the 1862 Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act as a means to teach work trades to young men but

didn’t directly involve grade school students until the Smith-Hughes National Vocational

Education Act of 1917 (p. 167). CTE has been preparing students for decades in a vast number of

various occupational fields, though its success also depends on the current status of the economy.

Over the years, our workforce has experienced many economic ups and downs, through
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recessions all the way to different technological advances, it is proving to be an everchanging

challenge to help prepare our future generations.

Understanding Job Growth

A large role of the success of career and technical education depends on preparing our students

for a thriving job market. Many top career fields require two or four year degrees after high

school. What I did find promising for our future leaders is that “a substantial majority of growing

“middle class” job categories do not require a four-year college degree and many only require

skills or certifications that can be achieved in a rigorous high school CTE program” (p. 173).

While I am excited for our students to have these opportunities presented for them, I wonder if

the career training is enough. I came across another article that offers a better understanding of

available programs in the CTE field that helps to promote student growth and personal

development in our future leaders.

Career Readiness

Interestingly enough, the article, Introduction to Pathways to a Productive Adulthood:

The Role of CTE in the American High School (2017), is also written by Stone. Stone describes

that while there are federal guidelines in place, states are responsible for educating our students

and preparing them for career readiness. Stone explains, “Career readiness describes the

acquisition of the evolving knowledge and skills needed for successful entry into and

advancement within an occupational or career pathway…the key purpose of public education”

(p. 157). The article further explains some differences between work, jobs and careers and covers

the importance of testing in our education system and ways to help students achieve success in

those through the academics of CTE. All of which are great pieces of information, but do not

answer my question.
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Traits, Behaviors and Skills.

While teaching skills that prepare our future generations for work are crucial, it is

important to build upon that so that we can help each individual with their own personal goals

and strengths flourish in the workforce. Stone clarifies, “Drawing on research from economics,

psychology, neurobiology, and other fields, they posit that noncognitive skills such as

persistence, dependability, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit, and self-confidence are

more important than sheer brainpower to achieving success in the workplace” (p. 159). This

provides some guidance in my research and helps support my theory that more work is needed

beyond a classroom setting. Stone details different methods that this could be achieved

Programs Designed for Personal Enhancement

Community-based learning encourages students to participate in teamwork and team-

building skills, work-based learning offers internships and apprenticeships to help students learn

the trade in their field of interest and career-technical student organizations (CTSOs) inspires

students to participate in activities that encourages personal development and leadership skills.

Stone also notes that CTSOs have “positive effects on several proximal variables linked to

postsecondary student success (e.g., academic motivation, academic engagement, grades, career

self-efficacy, college aspirations, and employability skills)” (p. 162-164). So while there are

many career pathways for students after high school, involvement in a CTSO encourages

students to further their skills and pursue higher achievements.

Compare and Contrast

While comparing these two articles, I find myself in a unique position because they both

share an author in common. The first article was more factual and gave a great understanding of

why CTE exists in the first place. It also featured facts on the job market and gave great insight
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to which career fields would be most relevant for our future students. The second article helped

by explaining the importance of the differences between skills, abilities, and traits and why it is

important for students to build on each of them while preparing for the workforce. This was the

article that really helped me to answer my thesis question.

Conclusion

In summary, CTE is an essential part of our education system. Its existence helps to

prepare our future generations for the labor market. In addition to CTE, there are other programs

and benefits that will help broaden the possibilities of success for each unique individual on a

personal level. Community-based learning, work-based learning and CTSOs all offer

opportunities for personal growth development. Furthermore, it is the involvement in these

programs that enhances leadership skills and growth in postsecondary student success.
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References

Stone, J. R. (2017). Introduction to Pathways to a Productive Adulthood: The Role of CTE in the

American High School. Peabody Journal of Education (0161956X), 92(2), 155–165.

https://doi-org.uidaho.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/0161956X.2017.1302207

Stringfield, S., & Stone, J. R. (2017). The Labor Market Imperative for CTE: Changes and

Challenges for the 21st Century. Peabody Journal of Education (0161956X), 92(2), 166–

179. https://doi-org.uidaho.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/0161956X.2017.1302209