The purpose of the meeting was to bring together, regional, local, community and partner resources to discuss this plan.
The plan seeks to ensure that all students graduate academically and technologically prepared for higher education or the workforce.
“We want to ensure that our students have access to this type of education where there is an integration of both academic skills and technical skills by the time they graduate so they may attain a credential or a degree and transition into post-secondary education or into a career,” Taylor said.
The agencies present at the forum were the Department of Labor, the Workforce Investment Agency, the Guam Certification Office, Northern Marianas College, the Northern Marianas Trades Institute, and the International Business and Professional College.
The role of the CTE program is to provide dual preparation to students for post-secondary education and employment.
It is not only for job preparation but also for academic and technical preparation.
The program’s role is to instill an increased emphasis on the attainment of technical skill proficiency, degree, and certificate or credential while empowering students into shaping 21st century education.
Taylor said the larger context of society is changing. As schools improve, students are less prepared so teachers must strengthen their role as CTE educators.
Taylor also pointed out how the agencies within the community can work together to improve the CTE program.
“We must work with business and industry to drive change,” she said.
The first step into shaping 21st century education includes the following:
• Saying “yes” to college and career readiness for all students, but defining readiness with more than just academic skills.
• Moving from a couple of pathways to multiple pathways and the true personalization of education for the 21st century.
• Calling for all students to participate in a “pathway” program that integrates college preparatory academics, 21st century workplace and citizenship skills, with a career plan and career-based classes.
Education Commissioner Sablan said her expectation in light of the five-year strategic plan is to improve:
• Program structure
• Personnel
• Curriculum, instruction and assessment
• Partnership
• Facilities development
• Administration
She noted that under the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, “the Secretary of the Interior shall provide technical assistance, including assistance to identify types of jobs needed, identify skills needed to fulfill such jobs, and assistance to commonwealth educational entities to develop curricula for such job skills to include training teachers and students for such skills.”
Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, who attended the forum, said the gathering “should develop as a product.”
He added, “What we would like to develop is a working plan.”
To help develop the CTE program, he said he is considering the creation of a “job course center” in the CNMI.
“We lack solid CTE programs here in the CNMI,” the congressman said.
Such programs, he added, “will help create jobs for people.”
According to the congressman “It is good that many kids are encouraged to be teachers and nurses but we also need to teach our kids that there is absolutely nothing wrong with pumping gas or flipping burgers. We need to let them know that there is nothing wrong with making a living and doing an honest day’s work.”
The six agencies had the opportunity to contribute their plans on how to go about developing the CTE program.
In the end, it was made clear by the agencies that students should be provided a way to pursue higher education and to later give back to their community.
The ultimate goal, the forum participants said, is to develop a competitive workforce for the CNMI.
