Lisa Withrow

The value of the Advisory Board is sometimes the base of the support for the program. Industry professionals should be included to make sure that when changes are necessary they are aligned. Programs need to be aware of the workforce and not ignore their data, technology, learning structures, labor trends and so on. They are crucial to the puzzle and can offer real expertise to the CTE program pathway. 

I learned that implementation has many steps that need to be considered. I think that most program pathways are added without the due diligence that is necessary for a successful partnership between industry and the student. Many times people are hired from industry and then schools just wing it to see what sticks. I have seen this and know that the steps mentioned here are crucial to a programs success. 

I have learned that planning arrives in stages and involvement is varied. All of the aspects need to be considered, such as the industry professionals, students, standards, employers and other stake holders. Just having an idea that a class needs to be added is of no value if the other areas are not in full consideration. There needs to be a deeper dive than into a course catalog of available items then try to make it fit the curriculum. 

Ensuring that the labor market aligns with the projected demand is a very important key factor. The workforce is changing more rapidly now with AI and some of the pathways that are being suggested might not align best with the learners interest. Also, budgeting, space allocation, skilled educators with hands on knowledge could be challenging to hire for courses that are not researched properly. Having advisory board feedback is critical to this process if the members represent a large enough base and sometimes having those key partnerships aren't always possible. Also, managing the gaps vs the program potentially ending if… >>>