BY: SHANNON WILLIAMS

It is an exciting time for Career & Technical Education in Macomb County. The support we are receiving from business partners, government officials, district leadership, and parents is at an all-time high.

Our community stakeholders realize the need for technical skills to be brought back into our education system in partnership with core academic competencies. This realization that education is not a one size fits all is allowing for honest conversations regarding all post-secondary options; whether it be a four-year degree, a two-year degree, an apprenticeship, or a certificate program. Students are starting to understand that many avenues exist that lead to high skilled, high wage, and high demand careers. It is no longer solely about what university a student should attend but more about what additional post high school training a student will need to achieve their goals.

Many employers have expressed the challenges they face in filling technical positions, not because of lack of applicants, but because applicants do not have the required technical skills. Career & Technical Education is a powerful tool to begin tackling this growing problem. We strive to develop critical thinking skills while achieving the technical competencies industry is demanding.

It is only through the strong leadership and vision from our area schools and the continued involvement of our business community that Macomb County remains a leader in Career & Technical Education programming.

I am tremendously proud of our CTE teachers as they take on new challenges and learn new technologies; they strive to continually improve their curriculum at the pace of industry advancements. These teachers push students to not only learn the technical skills embedded in our CTE curriculum but strive to foster a love for continued learning.

Thank you to Advancing Macomb for allowing us to showcase some of these programs.