Career and Technical Education and What We Learned from COVID-19

Schools and restaurants are open, and fewer of us need masks, but the impact of COVID -19 in education is still very real. The STEM Equity Initiative’s recent study of secondary and postsecondary schools’ CTE programs revealed that COVID-19 adversely affected indicators of school performance. These indicators always reflect the past, and looking at the numbers is much like looking in the rearview mirror.

As we look back, we must remember that the CTE schools undertook Herculean efforts to keep students engaged and learning – not an easy task for programs that are intended to be both academic and hands-on! COVID-19 led to declining CTE enrollment, including underrepresented students in nontraditional programs. Placements for apprenticeships and internships were hard (if not impossible) to find, and skills certifications were difficult to administer when students were disengaged and experiencing personal loss and family hardship.

What has become clear is that the trauma of COVID-19 cannot be “switched off” like a light bulb. We cannot expect to just return to normal. There is a new normal. COVID-19 has been deeply felt by students and their families in every way: employment challenges, loss of social development (so important in the teens and early twenties), missing access to academics. And students aren’t alone—our teachers, administrators, and school staff have also been affected. They all worked so hard to continuously find solutions in an ever-changing world. The indicators today seem to say that many of our schools’ performance declined. But did it?

I have had the privilege of talking to teachers across the state and the country for the past few years. Consistently, they’ve told me anecdotes that demonstrate they worked harder than they ever thought they could during the pandemic. Late night calls, extra tutoring, one-on-one care, creative problem-solving and collaborative work options meant extra time spent far outside the traditional hours. CTE educators had to figure out how to move from teaching and testing on equipment to creating online facsimiles for students. Educators created new online content and pedagogy to support student learning all while pushing a boulder of care and compassion. And all hail to the administrators who worked frantically to get the resources and training needed for their educators, and providing their supporting hand to parents, students, and staff.

Now, a year later, our school tours have returned, some apprenticeships are opportunities are returning, the jobs are back in demand, and students are enrolling in CTE! In fact, enrollment numbers entering this year may reverse the enrollment challenges due to COVID in 2021-2022, including improved numbers among underrepresented groups.

Perhaps one big takeaway from the pandemic is that the demand for CTE workers is critical and the opportunities immeasurable. As we put the pandemic in the rearview mirror (we hope), let us celebrate what our amazing faculty and staff pulled off and continues to achieve to benefit all students in CTE.

The reality is that CTE efforts did not decline, even as outcomes highlighted by indicators did. While the schools continue to recover and improve to better serve this generation, we can expect the indicators to show improvement. They cannot tell the full story of the hard work of the heroes who stayed on and struggled to serve their students, families, and communities. Instead we have to pause and capture the moment with a word of thanks to all the CTE educators that daily served all our amazing students. Well done CTE!