Could Washtenaw County consolidate career and technical education? Summit to examine possibilities

A free summit called "The Future Moves with Us," sponsored by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD), will examine the future of career and technical education (CTE) in the district. The event will take place on March 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Washtenaw Community College’s Morris Lawrence Building, 4800 E. Huron River Dr. in Ann Arbor Township.

WISD recently received a $5 million grant from the Michigan Department of Education to explore how to consolidate CTE offerings throughout Washtenaw County. CTE programs currently vary greatly from school district to school district. The grant allowed the WISD to create three county-wide positions for coordinating CTE programs. WISD is also developing pathways between local schools and hot industries like aviation, tourism management, or electric vehicles, and working on marketing and branding.

Ryan Rowe, WISD's director of CTE, says WISD has been working with the firm Hanover Research to hold focus groups and conduct surveys on CTE. The March 18 meeting will present preliminary data Hanover has gathered and act as a "teaser" for the near future and next steps.
"We'll provide a glimpse into where we're headed in the future, and then we'll release a report to the community in late spring," Rowe says. 

That report will build on an earlier report by the University of Michigan's Youth Policy Lab that suggested the need for consolidation.

Rowe says he expects parents, teachers, and industry partners will all be interested in attending the summit. It will start with a casual time for participants to visit student engagement stations, where CTE students who participated in the research and feedback will be on site to talk to participants.

Then, Rowe and others from WISD will present the preliminary data and talk about what they've already done to start expanding opportunities and access to all applied experiential learning opportunities in the district, including CTE programs.

Lunch will include a panel discussion with policymakers and community advocates. The event will end with an optional hour of feedback and learning. Participants are invited to visit stations around the facility to learn about research and data, communication and messaging, work-based learning, special populations, and career pathways.

Space is limited, so organizers suggest participants register by March 7. Register for the summit here. 

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township and the project manager of On the Ground Ypsilanti. She joined Concentrate as a news writer in early 2017 and is an occasional contributor to other Issue Media Group publications. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.

Photo by Doug Coombe.