Education and business leaders gathered on Oct. 29 to discuss how the state’s changing high school graduation standards will better prepare students for the workforce.
The Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center of New York hosted the forum to discuss Portrait of a Graduate, New York state’s planned revision to graduation requirements. The event was hosted at the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) – Albany Campus.
More than 50 education, business and government leaders representing organizations ranging from Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) to Greno Industries and the Capital Region Workforce Development Board attended the event.
“Portrait of a Graduate is very important in that the graduates will now go out and experience internships and have a Capstone project. I am a graduate of [Capital Region BOCES] and I know how important that was to me and shaping my future,” said Package One Shop Foreman Joe Lape.
As part of a multi-year process of overhauling graduation standards that Capital Region BOCES—and specifically CTE students—were a part of, state officials developed six key qualities they believe all New York students should master to earn a diploma.
Those qualities form a “portrait” of what a high school graduate should look like in New York and include being academically prepared; creative innovators; critical thinkers; effective communicators; global citizens, and “reflective and future focused.”
Students will be required to meet those expectations in several ways as the state phases out Regents Exams.
Throughout Oct. 29, participants discussed the attributes of the education reform and how it aligns with both CTE and industry needs. A roundtable discussion, breakout sessions, as well as a tour of the CTE Albany Campus to see current students at work learning the trades, were part of the event.
“It’s very important to come here and network with other people in the industry who are facing the same problems we are [in terms of recruiting],” said CDTA’s Steven Micelli.
Alan Gaines of The Shay Foundation, which works with the Trucking Association of New York, said the Portrait of a Graduate changes come at a critical time for industry in the state.
“We will have a 160,000 driver shortage by 2030 if we don’t stem the tide. What does this mean? All of the stops you make on your way to work or home will get a little more expensive, everything will get more costly to acquire, the scarcity will be more prevalent, if we don’t solve this problem,” he told attendees of the forum.
Many of the attendees praised Capital Region BOCES and other BOCES for already doing what the state is proposing.
“We have five recent BOCES graduates, four in manufacturing and one on a management track. This work we do with BOCES—and will continue to do—is so critical to our success,” said Patrisia Sheremeta, Human Resources Director at Greno Industries.
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Teacher James Bevington said the forum was great for business and education representatives.
“It’s important to hear what the changes will be and talk through them with our business partners. A lot of the changes I am already doing in the classroom, which is great,” he said.