Teen Struggles & Career Prep

Two items in the newspapers this morning caught my eye. One is not so surprising, the other something I, and other community leaders, have been pushing for in MHUSD. According to a report filed by McClatchy Newspapers and filed in the Morgan Hill Times: 1.(a) "Competition for entry level work is tougher. College graduates and long term unemployed adults are winning jobs that previously went to high school graduates". (b) "The skill level required for many entry jobs, notably in manufacturing and many of the trades, is higher than it once was, effectively cutting the least-skilled out of the market". The second item, reported by Sharon Noguchi in the local section of the SJ Mercury today, focuses on Career Academies and specifically on the launch of a HEALTH CAREERS ACADEMY at Sylvandale Middle School in the Franklin-McKinley School District. State data show that career academies lead to higher overall graduation rates. I believe we need to start moving beyond CTE classes and traditional schooling and focus on getting our students ready for post secondary school jobs and careers.