Local schools partner for CTE marketing training program

Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·2 min read

Jan. 20—Wheatland Union High School and Yuba College said Wednesday they are partnering for professional development training that will start in February to help promote career and technical education programs.

The partnership includes a training program called Catapult and it's sponsored by Kevin Fleming, a nationally recognized expert in career and technical education (CTE) on high school and community college levels, according to a news release from the schools.

"While we believe that Wheatland Union High School District has been succeeding in the area of offering and promoting high-quality CTE programs and has been slowly and successfully overcoming the misconception of what CTE is for several years, I am excited for the opportunity to learn more about how we can continue this path and possibly accelerate our (and student) success," said Nicole Newman, superintendent for Wheatland Union High School District, in the release. "Rather than the traditional view of 'College OR Career Readiness,' it is vital that our students and community see the value in 'College AND Career Readiness.'"

The Catapult training is meant to provide skills and techniques for marketing CTE programs at the schools.

"CTE education is, amongst other things, about great careers for students and an employable workforce for our community," said Tawny Dotson, president of Yuba College. "We have partnered to create clear pathways to help students fill those needs for our employers starting their freshman year at Wheatland Union High School. This training will help us to amplify and continue to expand this work."

The release said Yuba College and Wheatland Union High School will each designate four people to attend the training, which will be held monthly for five months via Zoom. After each training session with an industry expert, that expert will arrange a private meeting with the schools to work on individual marketing and programming plans.

"America is entangled in a deep love affair with a bachelor's degree," said Fleming in the release. "As a result, Career & Technical Education is often viewed as 'less than' or the alternative. I am sure many of you have experienced this as well in both large and small ways."