CNA Education launches a new initiative to support CTE programs preparing students for STEM fields

In order for students to be competitive in the marketplace, it is essential that they receive appropriate education and training. This year, CNA Education is dedicating a team of researchers and scientists to conducting research and providing technical assistance that can support career and technical education (CTE) programs in aligning their career pathways to labor market needs. Our research will focus specifically on helping programs prepare students of all demographics for successful careers in high-growth, high-wage STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields.

Ensuring that CTE programs are preparing students for high-growth, high-wage job sectors requires real-time market data to inform career pathways. CNA Education's team of scientists and researchers will work directly with states and employers to gather that real-time labor market data in order to project which job sectors will have the greatest number of high-demand/high-wage STEM jobs in the future. We then will use our findings to help states and districts design industry-specific career pathways for these jobs, focusing particularly on programs resulting in industry-recognized credentials and college credit.

We are thrilled to be collaborating with other CTE thought partners in preparing students for success and supporting the development of a workforce that meets the needs of the labor market. You will be able to track the progress of our work through updates in our newsletter and on our website.

- Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier

Principal Research Scientist, CNA Education