Here is an interesting article about Career and Technical Education.  It’s really just an advocacy piece for CTE based training and more federal funding.  The article hits all the important talking points of workforce development including:

• Skills Gap (it’s actually an interest gap)
• Baby Boomers leaving the workforce creating critical needs
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Credit for prior learning (on the job learning)

The article is well thought out and well reasoned, yet it doesn’t address the biggest issue of them all

The article is well thought out and well reasoned, yet it doesn’t address the biggest issue of them all: Work based learning.  Work based learning, if done correctly is a true investment on the part of the employer into the education system, because it requires the employer to pay a salary while the workforce is being trained.    We aren’t talking about WIOA requirements for employers to sit on boards across the nation, we are talking about employers saying.. hey, i’m going to put a ton of capital (including company equity) into paying for this employee to learn.  They can work some and learn some but will get paid for all of it. That pay should include equity into the company, retirement benefits, vacation benefits, seniority growth, and not require a commitment of 80+ hours a week.

Now if this was part of the legislation rather than a pander for more federal money for a tweak of existing systems, that would be a really interesting article to link to.

Link:  http://evolllution.com/managing-institution/government_legislation/the-powerful-role-of-career-and-technical-education-in-todays-workforce/