This past week, Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins shared what is happening in CTE with the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce and praised the work being done by all of you who make it happen. I wanted to give you another little snapshot of the highlights she shared, because I don’t think the tremendous work being done day in and day out in CTE can be overstated!
I hope you don’t just read these numbers, but take a minute to see just how amazing they really are! Thank you for being a part of making this happen!
- The number of students engaged in CTE programming has grown 75% from 29,261 five years ago to 51,293 last year.
- The number of middle and high school students enrolled in CTE programming has grown from 28,009 to 46,991 in the past four years.
- The number of seniors earning at least one occupational completion point has grown from 2,552 to 5,070 in the past four years.
- The number of secondary students earning industry certifications has grown from 3,328 to 9,438 in the past four years.
- The number of industry certifications earned by secondary students has grown from 4,659 to 10,534 in the past four years.
- The number of secondary Project Lead the Way programs has grown from 14 to 67 in the past five years thanks in large part to continued support from Lockheed Martin.
- The number of NAF programs has grown from 11 to 34 in the past five years.
- The number of Agriculture programs has grown from 14 to 31 in the past five years, including a brand new exciting horticulture program coming to Edgewater High School thanks to 4Rivers Foundation, to add to the model program they have helped fund already at Ocoee High School.
- FEAT, the Florida Electrical Apprenticeship Training program, has 661 electrical apprentices here in Central Florida, making it the largest single trade apprenticeship program in the State of Florida and the largest electrical apprenticeship program in the Southeast United States.
- The first LPN program on a high school campus in Orange County is underway at Jones High School. The first cohort of sophomores will graduate in three years with both a high school diploma and their Licensed Practical Nurse credentials. Thanks to continued support form Dr. Phillips Charities, we were able to provide extra equipment and resources.
Our partnership with Valencia College, entitled TECH EXPRESS, has made it easier for students to move from one institution to the other, taking articulated credits with them. In the previous five years, we had 6 students actually articulate and enroll in a VC Associate of Science Degree from OTC. This past year alone, we had 246 students enrolled at Valencia College, taking up to 28 credits with them on their way to earning an AS Degree to add to the Industry Credentials already earned through completion of a program at one of our technical college campuses.
While I’ve shared bits and pieces of this in a variety of ways, I thought it was worth repeating some items again in order to show the impact we are making as a whole. Yes we still have a ways to go to be the best in the nation, but I would argue that very few out there have done what we have been able to do together these past few years!
It takes all of us Collaborating Toward Excellence to make these kinds of numbers possible-that includes staffulty, industry partners, educational partners, community members and anyone else who gives of themselves to make CTE the place to be. Together we are Changing Lives Through Education at a level second to none that I can find-thank you for making this happen.
Have a great CTE Month!