Globalization has offshored low skills manufacturing, leaving industry in the United States to adjust business models, install ever-advancing technology, and incorporate automation on their production floor. These advances in precision and computer-aided work require a labor force with technical and "soft" skills to operate complex…

The problem to be addressed by this study is that Maine's workforce is facing a significant shortage of skilled labor which is impacting the sustainability and growth of Maine's economy. The shortage of skilled workers extends from trades to medical professionals and is worsened by Maine's unique demographical and geographical factors. In response…

Career technical education and skilled trades have been the subject of a social stigma that continues to make it a habit of mind that career technical education is inferior to a 4-year college education. This stigma is partially responsible for a shortage of skilled labor. This study aimed to explore how educators describe and understand the…

This study responds to a national conversation about the role that Career Technical Education (CTE) might play in meeting workforce demand for soft skills. It is challenging for CTE programs to offer soft skills for several reasons. Both educators and employers tend to associate CTE with hard skills, or technical skills and therefore the programs…

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the experiences of community college career technical education (CTE) faculty that used extended reality to improve their program of study and prepare students for proficiency and skill attainment in workforce development. How faculty adapted to learning various pedagogical practices for distance learning,…

This exploratory study analyzed disconnects that contribute to preventing water management organizations from offering vocational courses to southeast Texas school district students. Opportunities offered through legislative support and community services give school districts access to resources and training to prepare students for careers in the…

This qualitative phenomenological study thoroughly examines an art collective network within Mississippi's community colleges, specifically focusing on enhancing career preparation for students seeking opportunities in the entertainment industry. Through semi-structured interviews, this study gathered data from a purposive sample of six current…

Nationally, the labor market is calling out for workers to fill the increasing number of job vacancies, but those qualified, skilled, and able to fill them are limited in supply or retiring in large numbers. As America's key industries offer high salaries in return for candidates with the necessary skills and credentials to fill their vacancies,…

The purpose of this study was to better understand the extent to which a Public Charter High School and a Two-Year Community College leveraged their partnership and committed resources towards expanding access to concurrent credit career and technical education programs. The goal of this partnership was to invest in the human capital of high…

Since its introduction in the early 1900s, the codification of vocational education has made explicit that one purpose of the American public education system should be preparation for the workforce. Over three-quarters of high school students participate in present-day career and technical education, nearly half of undergraduate degrees conferred…

Evidence today shows that there is a skills gap among employable young adults. This study was based on a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program evaluation that was conducted in a rural school district in northwest North Carolina. The study examined the perceptions of the program by CTE high school teachers, CTE community college instructors,…

Career Technical Education (CTE) at the high school level is a sequence of courses that prepares students with the academic and technical knowledge and skills needed to either continue their studies or enter the workforce after high school (Gray & Lewis, 2018). While there is research regarding how high school CTE programs support academics,…

This executive position paper identifies the three year process, 2015/2016-2018/2019 school years, in which a school district's career and technical education district team implemented and completed the Program Improvement Process for Equity (PIPE) Project. To meet the workforce demands of the 21st century, our schools must improve access, equity,…

Training programs that combine learning English with career and vocational skills are highly desired to prepare many displaced workers that are English speakers of other languages (ESOL). Globalization has caused jobs to be exported and brought to this country, people with needed skills that do not have full command of the English language. The…

The community college environment is a complex and ever-changing system that requires effective leadership. The leadership characteristics in community colleges have been investigated substantially with studies primarily focused on the presidency and the pathway of the traditional academic pipeline. But as community colleges have struggled to do…