Businesses, chambers of commerce, and associations can help alleviate America's growing workforce shortage by supporting career and technical education (CTE), according to a new report issued by the Chamber's Institute for a Competitive Workforce (ICW).

The 24-page report, "The Skills Imperative," recommends that businesses volunteer to review CTE curricula to ensure that they reflect the knowledge, skills, and needs required in the workplace and spend time in the classroom to share how course content is applicable to careers. Participating in job and career fairs; providing apprenticeships, job shadowing, and internships; and encouraging employees to take sabbaticals to teach are other ways companies can get more involved in CTE. 

"To produce the workforce of the future, our education system needs to be closely linked with its primary consumer–the business community," says Arthur Rothkopf, ICW executive vice president. "Businesses are committed to working with all stakeholders on reforming our education system."

The report highlights successful public-private partnerships, such as the one established between utility company Gulf Power and the West Florida High School of Advanced Technology in Pensacola. The company created the Gulf Power Academy with a specific career education curriculum that prepares students for the workplace and allows them to get 15 hours of credit through an articulation agreement with Pensacola Junior College. So far, Gulf Power has hired 18 of the 69 students who have graduated from the program.

The report also outlines critical next steps to advance CTE, including:

• Data requirements and initiatives – Systems and methods for collecting data on students through their high school years should be implemented and surveys measuring local and regional employment needs should be conducted.
• Standards — Chambers and business leaders must work closely with governors, state education agencies, and local school districts to ensure that academic standards reflect workplace expectations.
• Integration – More effort should be made to integrate CTE instruction (project-based, career relevant) with core academic courses (math, science, English).
• Teachers – Issues of teacher training, certification, and ongoing professional development must be addressed.
   

"The Skills Imperative" is available for free on ICW's website, www.uschamber.com/icw. The report is the first in a series on the topic.