U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona sounded the alarm on Aug. 2 about the need for secondary schools in the United States to prepare its students for careers in career technical education.
Throughout a roundtable discussion at Crossland High School in Temple Hills, Md., with educators, young blue-collar workers, Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu, and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), who represents the area in Congress, Mr. Cardona emphasized the need for there to be a nexus between secondary schools and employers with apprentice programs in areas ranging from plumbing to welding to carpentry.
Mr. Cardona, an alum of a technical high school, called on employers to provide apprenticeships as the demand is there for such opportunities that can lead to full-time careers.
Mr. Cardona remarked that he told Ms. Wu before the event that it “needs to be the rule, not the exception, to have the Department of Labor and [Department of] Education working together.” The Biden administration has prided itself on advocating for blue-collar union workers.
Crossland High School has a robust career technical education program. The roundtable discussion featured numerous calls for career technical education starting at age 14 and to eliminate the stigma of having a technical job—the notion is that such jobs are for those who will not attend college or university.
Mr. Ivey stated that career technical education “is the wave of the future. What we got to figure out and make sure we’re doing the right way and expand is to make sure that these types of programs that are connected with the right kinds of jobs heading into the future are here in Prince George’s County.” He praised the Biden administration for taking initiative on the issue of career technical education.
However, despite Mr. Ivey calling career technical education “the wave of the future,” Mr. Cardona, in response to a question from The Epoch Times in a press gaggle following the event, said that such education is the current trend for America’s secondary schools.
“It’s the present. We need to be doing it now,” he said. “If we wait for the future, we’re going to miss an opportunity to prepare students for the careers that exist now with the [bipartisan] infrastructure plan with the CHIPS and Science Act, with the climate provisions under the Inflation Reduction Act. The last Congress acted. They did more in two years than, I think, since the 1960s.
“Now it’s time to implement, and our schools ... have to evolve to the point where they’re helping our students get experiences, get apprenticeships. There are very many high-skill, high-earning careers that are available. So yes, the future is now when it comes to this evolution in our schools.”
Mr. Ivey added to Mr. Cardona’s response and said that career technical education is needed to address issues stemming from the supply chain problems and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr. Cardona remarked that the infrastructure needs to be in place to encourage America’s students to take on both technical training and jobs.
“I see folks who are struggling in college debt, not making what they thought they were going to be making. And I see a lot of folks who follow their passion [career technical education] continued with their skills, maybe got a two-year degree, maybe got a four-year and are doing really well,” he said.
“We’re shortchanging our kids in America. We don’t give them the options and, to me, high standards. [Career technical education, better [career technical education] programming is not only good for students, but as I said before, we have an opportunity in the next three to five years in this country to build things in America, to make sure the infrastructure work goes to our students,” continued Mr. Cardona. “We just have to create pathways there. I’m a believer of it because I see how it benefits the lives of children and families.”
