Community colleges are the leader in facilitating career and technical education (CTE) and workforce development (WD) programs. However, employers who hire recent graduates of these programs question the quality of the education provided. This qualitative study used a focus group comprised of manufacturing and engineering professionals in Florida…

As the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs, thousands of New Yorkers are searching for jobs, and employers across the state are struggling to fill empty positions. New York's publicly funded city and state community colleges are uniquely positioned to help bridge this gap, providing more job-focused education for mid-career adults and traditional college-age…

The skills gap--the disparity between job openings and job seekers in an employment category--is wider in some sectors and parts of the country than others. The disconnect between community colleges and employers perpetuates the skills gap. Despite the current push among educators, politicians, and employers to increase completion rates, that…

This report describes a study conducted by the Community College Research Center (CCRC) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Task Force on the Work of the Future to understand how community colleges are adapting their workforce programs to changing skill demands, diversifying pathways to certificates and degrees, and grappling with…

The purpose of this study was to explore how technical skills taught and learned in Florida engineering and engineering technology-themed career academies fit technical skills desired by local employers in technology and manufacturing. The analysis utilized the narratives of 70 students and four teachers from career academies at four high schools…

Career and technical education (CTE) programs play a vital role in preparing high school students for life after graduation. The Carl D. Perkins Act of 2006 (Perkins) requires states that receive federal CTE funding to align secondary and postsecondary programs, so that students can transition seamlessly from a high school CTE program to a…

High school students who complete technical coursework in a given field should be able to demonstrate their skill mastery by passing a technical skill assessment that is recognized in that field. States are using a variety of approaches to assess students' skill attainment, with some adopting industry-recognized assessments linked to national…

This course allows students who are interested in careers in apparel manufacturing to learn the techniques for operating the various types of special machines used for finishing garments professionally and for specialty work. Course content includes goals, specific objectives, orientation, safety practices, special machines, assembling a child's…

This course involves practice in a sleeve-making techniques. Prior to entry in this course the vocational student will have completed "Section Work--Pocket Setting." Upon completion of the course the student will be able to understand the underlying principles of sewing individual sections of garments using factory techniques comparable…

The course provides a study of fabrics, an insight into the history of fashion, and how present day styles relate to previous eras. Course content includes goals, specific objectives, changes in fashion, fashion design, textiles, techniques in tacking for securing seams, and making a pleated skirt. The course is presented as an advanced Quinmester…

This guide identifies considerations in the organization, operation, and evaluation of secondary and postsecondary vocational education programs. It contains both a vocational program guide and Career Merit Achievement Plan (Career MAP) for commercial foods. The guide contains the following sections: occupational description; program…

This packet contains a program guide and Career Merit Achievement Plan (Career MAP) for the implementation of an apparel production program in Florida secondary and postsecondary schools. The program guide describes the program content and structure, provides a program description, lists job titles under the program, and includes a curriculum…

This document contains vocational education program course standards (curriculum frameworks and student performance standards) for exploratory courses, practical arts courses, and job preparatory programs offered at the secondary and postsecondary level as part of the family and consumer sciences component of Florida's comprehensive vocational…

A project was undertaken to revise a model competency-based trade and industrial education program that had been developed for use in Florida schools in a project that was implemented earlier. During the followup evaluation, the project staff compiled task listings for each of the following trade and industrial education program areas: automotive;…