Group will champion career and technical education’s role in economic recovery and diversifying and expanding the US IT workforce
CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce, announced the formation of a new council to lead a national dialog focused on accelerating career pathways in technology.
The CompTIA National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Council will include representatives from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
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“We strongly believe that CTE will play a critical role in our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has devastated household finances and changed educational plans for many families,” said Angel L. Piñeiro Jr., vice president, strategic academic relationships, at CompTIA. “With the help of an elite group of educators and other leaders we intend to raise national awareness of CTE as a creator of opportunities for careers that will provide a better way of life for multiple generations to come and to do so in a way that address digital inequity head-on.”
Today’s announcement comes during Career and Technical Education Month®, a public awareness campaign to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country. It is organized by the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers.
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“ACTE commends CompTIA on the formation of its National CTE Advisory Council and the commitment to advance a national dialogue to accelerate Tech Pathways,” said LeAnn Wilson, ACTE executive director. “This national partnership model reflects the recommendations in ACTE’s high-quality CTE Framework and the type of engagement that all industries should be involved in to help prepare learners for future employment.”
More than 30 individuals representing 22 states have already joined the CompTIA CTE Advisory Council, including educators from Mississippi and Texas.
“The possibilities are limitless for students enrolled in career technical programs,” said new council member Shirlaurence D. Fair, director of career and technical education for the Clarksdale Municipal School District in Clarksdale, Miss.
“The 2020 pandemic exposed the shortage of essential workers and the need for a more skilled workforce,” Fair added. “For America to remain a superpower, we must offer all students, especially minorities, access to career technical education. Strategic partnerships with schools, businesses and community are the key to workforce development and building a brighter future for all.”
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