Forum on Career Technical Education in Essex County

How can Massachusetts educate the workforce required to fill the jobs of the future? How can we provide educational opportunities that meet the needs, interests, and aptitudes of all our high school-aged students? Is it acceptable for there to be thousands of young people languishing on wait-lists to get into the public schools that meet their needs?” To learn more about these questions, please join us for a forum about the needs and opportunities for Career and Technical Education (CTE), sponsored by the Education Working Group of Progressive Democrats of Mass. 

Rapid technological change has placed a premium on technical education that is sufficiently flexible to adapt to an ever changing labor market in such new areas as, for example, advanced manufacturing. Essex County has two public schools that are specialized in this kind of education -- ENSATS and Greater Lawrence Technical School (GLTS) -- yet the number of places available at these schools is only about one quarter the number of applications. 

Superintendent-Directors Heidi Riccio (ENSATS) and John Lavoie (GLTS) will explore these and other issues and how these two technical high schools are helping to solve them. Representatives of employers, educators, students, parents, and workers will present their perspectives. Over lunch, the panelists will lead breakout sessions, followed by a training session in public advocacy to promote legislation on Beacon Hill. Those wishing to do so will be given a tour of the ENSATS facilities.

Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts (PDM) is a volunteer-run, statewide network of grassroots activists, who are seeking to advance public policies of opportunity and inclusiveness at the state and local level via public education and advocacy. PDM’s Education Working Group has identified access to high quality Career and Technical Education as a critical need. This forum is part of PDM’s effort to educate and activate citizens about this important issue.

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Time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm