Photo courtesy of the Bay-Arenac ISD
Josh Little was hired as the Principal and Director of Career and Technical Education for the Bay-Arenac ISD (BAISD) Career Center in July. When Superintendent Michael Vieau announced he had hired Little, he cited his proven leadership in Career and Technical Education (CTE). Little has worked in CTE for 12 school districts, most recently at the Saginaw Career Complex. He has been the CTE Director in Saginaw since 2016. Little also has held positions as a Curriculum Instructional Coach, Instructional Support Coordinator, and as a middle school science teacher. Little previously worked as the CTE Director at the Saginaw Career Complex in Saginaw since 2016. Little has over 22 years of education experience holding positions as a Curriculum Instructional Coach, Instructional Support Coordinator, and as a middle school science teacher.
Route Bay City spoke with Little to hear about recent progress, and what’s in store for the future.
QUESTION: What drew you to this position and the Bay-Arenac ISD Career Center?
ANSWER: I think there were two main factors that drew me to the position available at the BAISD Career Center. The first factor was the opportunity to have a larger leadership role countywide to support career development. As the Director of Career and Technical Education, I will have an opportunity to work closely with business and industry partners, post-secondary partners, and local education leaders to help strengthen opportunities for career development. The second factor was the longevity of proven success and exceptional work that had been done at the Career Center and the ISD as a whole. I have worked closely with several individuals who supported the work being done at BAISD and they have given great compliments to the current leadership – so I was excited for the opportunity to join such a successful team.
Q: I realize you’re just settling in, but with the school year well underway, do you have any early goals for your first year on the job?
A: There are several goals that I have placed on myself and the administration team at the Career Center. I would like to highlight two of those goals. Initially, I would like to review the internal infrastructure and evaluate current programming to ensure we are maximizing our offerings for Career and Technical Education for this region. Our teachers and support staff are doing a tremendous job, but I want to ensure they have the resources and teaching tools they need to continue to grow their programs. Next, I would like to immerse myself in the community to build strong partnerships with our local and regional business partners. A successful career center is only as strong as the support it receives from industry. These individuals are vital to the success of individual programs by providing input on curriculum, equipment, and work-based learning opportunities. These relationships will also allow us to explore the opportunity to develop new programming at the Career Center to meet the needs of our region.
Q: What’s going well at the Career Center?
A: All of it! Each program offered at the Career Center is providing so many opportunities for students. Students in Bay and Arenac County are supported in career readiness at the highest level. Not only are students learning technical skills at a high level, but the staff at BAISD Career Center is committed to supporting the whole development of the students for career readiness. During the time students spend at the Career Center, they are focused on portfolio development, resume creation, mock interviews, college application support, work-based learning opportunities, certification and credential completion, and more. Students attending the Career Center develop a clear pathway for their next steps after high school. This is demonstrated by our high school graduation rate which is over 95%.
Q: What challenges do you anticipate the Career Center facing in 2025?
A: I think there has been a huge shift over the past five years toward career readiness, not just college readiness. With this, it is essential that all students have an opportunity to explore clear pathways and career opportunities regardless of which direction they may go after high school. The challenge will be to organize this level of career readiness development training and planning county wide.
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Photo courtesy of the Bay-Arenac ISDAt the Bay-Arenac ISD Career Center, students enroll in one of 24 different programs.Q: How will you make the most of the assets? How will you address the challenges?
A: I plan to utilize our Post-Secondary Team along with our Work-Based Learning Team and counselors to support the work needed in the area of career development and career readiness. We will continue to coordinate with the local school districts and business leaders to develop sustainable activities and events to support the work needed to be done outlined in the Michigan Career Development Model. Working closely with local businesses, post-secondary partners, and educational leaders to collaborate on sustainable career readiness activities and events at each grade level will be a large lift.
Q: Recently, the state created programs such as Michigan Reconnect and the Community College Guarantee to help people earn degrees beyond high school. How does the Career Center plan to help students take advantage of these opportunities?
A: There is still more to learn about these opportunities for students, but currently we plan to maximize all college and skilled training opportunities that are available for students. Our goal is to demonstrate all pathways that students have as options to help them make the best-informed decision about their post-secondary pathway. I am working closely with Delta College to create an informational page for parents, students, and counselors that will highlight the benefits for Dual Enrollment, Early Middle College, CTE Articulated Credit, and Free Community College. All of these efforts support the Sixty-by-30 vision for Michigan. The goal is to make sure our families understand all the options available to students and work with our team and other supporters within their school district to create a post-secondary plan that is suitable for them.
Q: Do any of these programs change the Career Center focus?
A: No, our focus at the Career Center will always remain the same. Our goal is to collaboratively work with local businesses and post-secondary partners to develop a deep talent pool for this region through Career and Technical Education. CTE focuses on four main components: Technical Skill Attainment/Professional Skill Attainment (Classroom Instruction/Laboratory Learning); Work Based Learning; and Leadership Development. These four cornerstones of our educational model will continue to guide the work we do and support any of the offerings available to students.
Q: What is one thing you wish the community-at-large understood about the Career Center? What does the Career Center need from the community?
A: I would like for our entire community to understand the level of training and overall education that is taking place at the Career Center. Career and Technical Education is not a pathway for students who do not plan to go to college. CTE is an opportunity for all students. Most of the programs at the Career Center have articulated credit with colleges and universities and students are much further ahead and more prepared for college rigor than students not attending the Career Center. We have many programs where students can enter the workforce directly out of high school with a credential or certification earned at the Career Center, but we also have many programs that fast-track students to a college degree in areas such as Healthcare, Dentistry, Bio Medical and Engineering just to name a few. I think it's important that our stakeholders are aware of the depth of education we are providing students.
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Kathy Roberts, a graduate of Central Michigan University, moved to Bay City in 1987 to start a career in the newspaper industry. She was a reporter and editor at the Bay City Times for 15 years before leaving to work at the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Covenant HealthCare, and Ohno Design. In 2019, she returned to her storytelling roots as the Managing Editor of Route Bay City. When she’s not editing or writing stories, you can find her reading books, knitting, or visiting the bars of Bay County. You can reach Kathy at
editor@RouteBayCity.com