Here's What It Could Look Like to Put the Trades Back in School

Jul 17, 2023

Brent McCartney, an expert in trade education, shares insights on revitalizing vocational training in schools. He discusses Connecticut's innovative system that combines academics with practical skills, preparing students for lucrative trade careers. McCartney emphasizes the growing need for skilled trades and the importance of hands-on experience in education. He explores the unique qualifications for trade instructors and the collaboration between schools and employers, showcasing how this model could enhance workforce readiness and job prospects for students.

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ANECDOTE

Brent's Background

Brent McCartney, a CTECS consultant, is a graduate of the program.
He worked in construction before transitioning to teaching and now administration.

INSIGHT

CTECS Overview

CTECS has existed for over 100 years, providing both academic and trade education.
It's a state-funded public school system with 17 diploma-granting high schools.

INSIGHT

Decline of Trade Training

Societal perception and educational policy shifts contributed to the decline of trade training in schools.
No Child Left Behind and the technology boom further marginalized trades.

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Lately, I've been talking to my son Gus about considering a career in the trades. A lot of the white collar jobs out there don't seem very fulfilling, and A.I. is going to make more and more of them disappear. But skilled tradesmen are in demand, and that demand is only going to grow. One option I've floated to Gus is to still go to an affordable college, for the mind expansion and social opportunities, but then, instead of going on to get a graduate degree, as so many young people do, he could go to trade school instead.

That's one potential route should he be interested, but I sure wish he could be exposed to the trades while he's still in secondary education. All states have forms of what's called "Career and Technical Education," or CTE, but in most places, it's set up in a patchwork fashion; the programs are run by local schools that partner with other institutions that offer instruction in the trades.

The state of Connecticut does things differently. They have a one-of-a-kind CTE system, which, as one journalist recently put it, could serve as a national model for how to put the trades back in school. The Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, or CTECS, includes 17 high schools that are all headed by a single agency. Each school offers an education in both academics and the trades on the same campus. The students who choose to attend these special high schools spend half of their time on the former and half of their time on the latter, so by the time they graduate, they've earned both a high school diploma and certification in a trade. And the size and organization of CTECS allows it to partner with hundreds of employers in the area who furnish students with paid work on actual projects, so they can get plenty of hands-on, real world experience.

Today on the show, I talk to Brent McCartney, who oversees the architecture and construction trades at CTECS, about how the program works and how it benefits both the students and the community.

Here's What It Could Look Like to Put the Trades Back in School

Brent's Background

CTECS Overview

Decline of Trade Training

Resources Related to the Podcast

Connect With Brent McCartney/Learn More About CTECS