Arizona Business and Education Coalition celebrates Career and Technical Education
ABEC brings real-world experience to the classroom - 13 On Your Side's Arlette Yousif reports
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Arizona Business and Education Coalition (ABEC) celebrated Career and Technical Education (CTE) today. The CTE program brings hands-on experience to Yuma County schools that students can incorporate into their future.
Construction, agriculture and culinary arts are just some industries our children can prepare for through CTE.
Educators enhance opportunities for students to create successful and lucrative careers. Rep. Charlene Fernandez says it’s a new world and college is not the only path to success.
"It should not be the sole determining factor for success or value in our diverse economy. This provides an excellent opportunity for businesses to provide hands-on workforce development, allowing our students who may have been left behind to find a career that works for them," says Arizona District 4 Rep. Charlene Fernandez (D).
Abec’s toolkit is all-encompassing with CommunityShare, an online network that connects classroom teachers with community partners.
Other resources such as My Future AZ and Junior Achievement help to enable and empower students to explore career paths. And Edge Factor helps to bridge the gap between local companies, schools and families.
"We’ve really formed a loose collaboration that brought all of our resources and all of the things that we’re doing together. And I think that’s one reason we’ve had a more meaningful impact down here," explains ABEC Vice President Debra Raeder.
It’s bringing the big city to Yuma County.
"It’s leveling the playing field so that the students in Yuma are getting the same opportunities as students get in phoenix or students get in Tucson," says Raeder.
Teachers also benefit from the business and education coalition programs, especially when it comes to tying real-world experience to classroom education.
Most recently, the ABEC program brought agriculture to Centennial Middle School and RC racing to Fourth Avenue Junior High.
Details about various opportunities can be found on the ABEC website.
