On Wednesday, Upper Cape Tech Superintendent Bob Dutch and Northeastern University Economist Barry Bluestone appeared on Radio Boston (WBUR, 90.9 FM) to discuss how there is a great demand for vocational education statewide and how a recent study commissioned by the Massachusetts School Building Authority points out how a majority of jobs needed in Massachusetts through 2022 will not require a college degree. Listen to the 15 minute interview here. It is an excellent discussion of this topic.I hope this conversation and the release of this report will lead to further discussions about how to increase student access to high quality vocational technical education.
For me, "access" starts with giving middle school students (in grades 6-8) and their parents time to learn more about careers (You can't pigeonhole an 11 year old into choosing a specific trade area, but you can get them thinking about the ways they like to learn the the things they like to do!). This will require even more collaboration with our sending schools and direct support from the state department of education. Maybe with less testing time, there would be more time to fit this in?
Access also includes having modern vocational technical school buildings for our students. While we work hard to keep our 53 year old school in tip top shape, it becomes increasingly challenging to maintain a building and ensure that we have current instructional technology and equipment. To support our school, we have applied to the MSBA to fund a building expansion and renovation project. It is a lengthy process but I will keep you posted
---Mr. Hickey
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