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An important element of the Program Approval/Continuous Program Improvement work we have been doing the last few years has been in the are of "Career Development." It is important for Program Approval that each of our programs not only develop "technical skills" specific to the content of our courses (i.e., accounting, marketing, graphic design, etc.), but that they also expand students' awareness and preparation for career pathways in those given fields. As the saying goes...don't forget the "CAREER" in "Career and Technical Education"!
"Career development" is more than having students develop a resume and practice interviewing skills. Career Development encompasses a range that typically begins with career awareness activities that hopefully begin for students during their elementary school years. Students should receive opportunities to hear classroom speakers discuss career pathways and the education and training experiences they utilized to achieve success. Local industry tours can also spark students' imagination and encourage them to consider how their educational activities align and contribute to career choices after high school.
As students move into upper elementary and middle school grades, there should be intentional opportunities for them to begin career exploration in specific fields of interest. They typically will begin utilizing interest and skill survey tools to understand how these may align with potential career pathway opportunities, and lead to consideration of enrollment in high school course sequences to prepare them for these career opportunities. Use of occupational research information in tools such as Naviance and Minnesota Career Information System (MCIS) is very beneficial, and job/career fair opportunities should be utilized.
Career preparation is at the heart of career and technical education (CTE) courses. Students receive instruction that provides opportunities to learn through performing work that professionals in career fields of interest perform as part of their jobs. Simulated work experiences, opportunities for role plays and presentations in student organization competitive events, achievement of industry-recognized credentials, and work-based learning internships should all be program goals for helping our students prepare and practice the skills necessary for success in their chosen career fields.
Career Development is an important element of Program Approval, and outcomes such as industry-recognized credentials and work-based learning are central priorities in Perkins V...but more important than both of those – it is what our students deserve so they are prepared to face the educational and career challenges that will face them following high school graduation! Make sure that there are strong and intentional opportunities for career development embedded throughout your Business program!
There was a lot of discussion at the 2019 ACTE VISION Conference about future directions for Accounting education. A very insightful article in the October 2019 Business Education Forum, "Preparing Tomorrow's Accountants Today" by Briar Alexander, touched on many of the key points addressed:
- "Emerging technologies such as cloud computing, blockchain, and enhanced artificial intelligence have the capability to revolutionize business functions. These technologies are already being implemented in public accounting firms."
- "With any revolution there will be casualties. Many experts believe that bookkeeping, data entry, and clerical positions will be among the jobs hardest hit. Does this suggest that the future of the profession belongs in the hands of artificial intelligence? Quite the contrary...The fact remains, however, that future accountants will be called on less often to simply record business transactions. Rather, they will be expected to interpret financial data using advanced technologies and to provide deeper financial insight and solutions in the companies and clients for which they work."
- "Traditionally, the accounting profession has not been thought to require strong writing or other communication skills. Perhaps in the past this was true, but today professional accountants must be able to report the findings from their analysis and research...Given these circumstances, incorporating technical writing into the accounting curriculum is critical at the high school level."
These are important insights for curriculum development and revision! If you teach Accounting, stay current on careers and industry trends through resources such as the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) website "StartHereGoPlaces." You can download many FREE classroom activities, materials and resources as well as professional development articles. Visit the StartHereGoPlaces website.
THANK YOU to those teachers who have already contacted me expressing interest in working on our Summer 2020 Frameworks Development team! We are still looking for a few more teachers to join us for this work. If you have background in developing and delivering curriculum in any of these areas I'd love to hear from you:
- Yearbook I and II
- Multimedia and Video I and II (NOT video production/broadcast journalism)
- Photography and Web Development
Team members meet once in June to organize our work, then work is done independently throughout the summer with a submission date before the start of the 2020-2021 school year. A summer stipend is provided. Contact Dean Breuer if you are interested in Framework development this summer.
Membership in our teacher professional organization, MBITE (Minnesota Marketing, Business, and Information Technology Educators), has grown to over 170 members this year! As a follow-up to a successful fall conference, planning is underway for professional development opportunities to deliver during the remainder of the 2019-20 school year and into the summer months. in addition, your $30 membership provides you access to the members-only curriculum database – to access materials others have shared...or to share with others some of the great resources you have been using in your classroom!
Contact President Justin Wittrock if you have membership questions.
Join the MBITE professional organization.
As part of their commitment to youth entrepreneurship, Junior Achievement (JA) has invested heavily in programs that cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs. Starting in elementary school, students are introduced to basic economic and business concepts. These concepts are strengthened in middle and high school through programs like JA BizTown, JA Company Program, and JA Be Entrepreneurial. Their goal is to ensure that students graduate from high school with an entrepreneurial mindset so we can cultivate a pipeline of entrepreneurs to strengthen our economy and our workforce.
Their newest program on the entrepreneurship pathway, JA LaunchU!, guides high school students through the steps to launch their own business. With mentorship from successful local entrepreneurs, students will develop a concept that fills a need or solves a problem in our community. Facilitated by JA's Entrepreneur in Residence Michelle Maryns, students will put theory into practice by creating, marketing, and operating their own company from concept to business plan, financing, execution, and sales. Students will have access to a dedicated workspace in JA's first-of-its-kind Innovation Incubator at Junior Achievement's St. Paul facility. Upon successful completion of the program, students are eligible for a $500 stipend to help finance their new venture. The students in the photo are the first JA LaunchU! cohort from high schools throughout the Twin Cities. These innovative young minds represent the Junior Achievement vision for their new learning center and the work they are doing to develop the region’s talent. JA will continue offering new cohorts each year and during the summer.
Learn more about JA LaunchU!
Learn more about JA BizTown
Learn more about JA Company Program
Learn more about JA Be Entrepreneurial
Visit the JA website to learn more about programs in entrepreneurship, work and career readiness, and financial literacy.
Complete a JA Interest Form to learn how you can bring JA to your students.
Facebook is partnering with CTE educators and digital marketing teachers to pilot their new Digital Marketing Skills program during the coming Spring semester (starting in January 2020). The pilot teachers will receive first-hand access to the Educators’ Portal and a hands-on program for classrooms that includes a set of wide-ranging project-based modules and case studies to help students learn and practice their digital marketing skills.
The curriculum is broken into four units and 23 separate modules which can be done in their entirety or as supplements to existing curriculum. Participating educators will provide feedback on the program. The curriculum includes content focus on Digital Marketing through Facebook, Instagram and Messenger and includes two modules on Careers in Social Media.
The Educator’s Portal is free to access NOW. Visit the Educator's Portal – there is no cost to teachers for participating in the program. Completion of the program can prepare students to take the Facebook Certified Digital Marketing Certificate exam.
Email Ellie Hoban at Facebook for more information.
To sign up for the pilot, complete and submit the Facebook Digital Marketing Course for CTE form.
If providing a section of links for your recipients, it is recommended to provide each link with a brief description of its contents. Do NOT provide links only!
Success in the New Economy: video helps audiences understand that for success in the new economy, students will need applied technical skills, industry-recognized certifications, employability preparation, and rigorous general education preparation.
CareerOneStop: View summaries and employment data on a variety of occupation profiles.
DEED Career Pathway Tool: View great employment and wage data by career pathway.
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