An effort to continually improve Career and Technical Education (CTE) recently gathered some traction this week from the Tennessee Department of Education.

The department issued an announcement Wednesday discussing new steps that will be taken to “strengthen the integration of postsecondary and workforce readiness throughout K-12 education.”

In a new report issued by the College, Career and Technical Education (CCTE) Transition Advisory Council, members provide recommendations and guidance to the department to help move students from high school to postsecondary institutions and beyond.

According to information provided by the department, 27 recommendations from the report were broken into four categories: postsecondary alignment; work-based learning, apprenticeships & industry engagement; student advisement & career exploration; and high-quality CTE programs.

Some of the recommendations highlighted in the report indicated the State Board of Education to adopt a policy to incorporate a work ethic diploma into graduation with distinction and the department to work with the General Assembly to incentivize companies to participate in programs and increase the budget for “high-quality” early postsecondary opportunities.

“The insight and recommendations from this council will help us take actionable steps as we work to build stronger pathways for students from high school graduation and beyond,” Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said in a press release issued to the Elizabethton Star. “This report complements and builds upon the work already set out by the department’s strategic plan, Tennessee Succeeds, which has core goals focused on developing postsecondary and career ready graduates. While the department has continuously sought and built upon the feedback we’ve received from industry and workforce partners, these recommendations will allow us to further our work to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in the future.”

Several stakeholders from business and education are part of the CCTE Council, including Dean Blevins. Blevins, the director of Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Elizabethton, is no stranger to seeing the benefits of postsecondary education for students and the importance it brings to the workforce.

Raising the expectations of student learning by “providing courses that are rigorous, valuable and aligned to postsecondary program” can lead students to high demand for jobs, according to Blevins.

Another resource that can be used for the up-and-coming workforce is work-based learning opportunities, the director said, adding that the vision for the report is to make sure Tennessee is a “national leader in Career and Technical Education.”

“A renewed interest and demand for work-based learning (WBL) opportunities both at the state and national level as evidenced by the Tennessee Department of Education revised work-based learning framework is applauded through their career awareness at early grades continuing through secondary education grades,” Blevins explained. “The true commendation of the department’s focus in WBL is the national level highlight of new approaches to WBL through the reauthorization of the Congressional Higher Education Act of 1965 and renewed focus of the Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform (Prosper) Act on the national stage that promotes WBL initiatives as paramount.”

Residents can visit the state’s department of education website to learn more about the report from the CCTE Council.