Techniques September 2012 - 37

CareerTech VISION 2012— Business and Industry Training

By Patrick Konopnicki

t’s a rare day when economic developers are not thinking about ways to facilitate economic vitality in their area. Even successful communities are not guaranteed perpetual economic health—not amidst the forces of globalization, intraregional shifts of industries within the United States, and the inevitable life cycle of business enterprises. An economic vitality formula of success can be accomplished by creating partnerships between local career and technical education (CTE), and workforce development and economic development entities. Student industry certifications; dynamic partnerships; programs and projects focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and shared talent among agencies can also be part of the success formula (Figure 1). With a new CTE mandate from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the April 2012 U.S. Department of Education report, “Investing in America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education,” can easily become a catalyst for CTE re-invention and a perfect opportunity to take advantage of what already exists in many CTE programs. The formula for success can be a “low-hanging fruit” scenario where local CTE administrators showcase their best CTE programs and try to correlate with economic development and workforce development needs. In June, while talking to Jerry Stewart, the CTE General Advisory Council chairman, who is with the city of Virginia Beach’s Department of Economic Development, about what works for both the city and the schools of Virginia Beach, we came up with the formula for success as a means of explaining potential partner-

Figure 1: The Economic Vitality Formula of Success
CTE Programs Workforce Development Economic Development

EConomiC ViTaliTy

STEM Focus Industry Certifications Business Partnerships

STEM Proficiency Certifications Desired Skill Development

Skilled Workforce Business School Partners Economic Vitality Desired Jobs

CTE creates a career pathway leading to an educated and skilled workforce, creating a vibrant economy.

ships between CTE programs, workforce development and economic development. As a team, we have long wondered why other cities and CTE offices have not made the connection between CTE and economic development. Granted, we have been working on this for almost 20 years, but devising the formula may not be as hard as one might think. The connection between CTE and economic development first became obvious to me more than 20 years ago when I was principal of a regional technical center. The economic development director of the city of Hampton, Don Maxwell, pulled up to the school with a busload of legislators wanting to see our CTE facility in action. From that point forward, a relationship was formed where CTE became a star in the crown in the city of Hampton and a reference point for legislators. Fast-forward years later to my current position as CTE director in Virginia Beach. One of the first joint projects completed in partnership with economic development and the local community college was the Advanced Technology

Center completed in 2002. This 137,000 square foot facility houses Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) classes in engineering/manufacturing, information technology, telecommunications, marketing, community college classes and training space for economic development.

Strategic Planning
An example of the opportunity to connect CTE and economic development can be seen in Virginia Beach City’s Economic Vitality Strategic Plan. Being a member of the city’s Economic Vitality Strategic Issue Team, I was able to give CTE a voice in the plan. We were able to make the connection with the VBCPS’ STEM initiative and the city’s economic vitality STEM strategy and objective, and now it is part of the city’s strategic plan. It was simply a matter of connecting the dots. For instance, the city wanted STEMrelated jobs, and the school division wanted STEM career pathways. The strategic plan was a perfect match. The following CTE-related objectives can be seen in the city’s economic strategic plan:
September 2012

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Techniques

Techniques September 2012

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