You can support CTE Month with these tips
January 30, 2023
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, and February 23 is the official CTE Day in Washington state. CTE prepares individuals to enter high-demand, financially secure industries and occupations, including residential construction. It is vital for students, businesses and communities to understand and participate in the opportunities the CTE programs in their area.
In Washington, CTE needs our members’ support as well as support from the community to ensure all learners have access to high-quality CTE programs to bolster our workforce. This is why BIAW and local home building associations across the state have made CTE and workforce development a top priority all year.
One of the most impactful ways you can help support CTE and workforce development is by getting in front of today’s students (our future workforce) and sharing your story with them. While speaking to a group of kids and young adults can be intimating, you, as a builder or remodeler, are the perfect choice to encourage young people to join the building industry. Here are some tips to help with your next presentation.
Tools to promote the trades to youth
Do a little research: Chat with the instructor or principal before your presentation to learn more about the students. Keep your audience in mind while you speak. Speaking to a group of construction trades students will be vastly different from speaking to an eighth-grade math class.
Share your story: Open your presentation by briefly introducing yourself, your company and how you got your start in residential construction.
Let them hear from other young people in the Painting Pathways video: BIAW worked with four young workers with four distinctly different pathways to show young people the benefits of working in residential construction and how to find their way.
Provide the “Careers in Construction” wage data: Show students how much they can make on average in common residential construction careers. BIAW has a PowerPoint with the latest Washington wages. Either show it on a screen or download it and hand it out. Find it on the BIAW website here.
End with a call to action: Tell them where they can find more information about education, training and jobs in residential construction in your area. Check with your executive officer or contact Education and Workforce Development Director Al Audette for more information at ala@biaw.com.
Encourage them to apply for scholarships: BIAW, NAHB, local associations and others offer scholarships to pursue trades education. Check them out here and encourage students to apply.
Open to questions: Answer as many questions as possible but always refer them back to BIAW.
For more information about workforce development or to get involved with the BIAW Workforce Development task force, contact Education and Workforce Development Director Al Audette at (360) 352-7800 x 105 or email him at AlA@biaw.com