Wyoming Schools Superintendent Jillian Balow has announced a plan for improving career training in Wyoming schools. The idea is to make career education more useful to future employers by getting them involved in the process of course preparation. Here is the release from the State Education Office...

CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) has committed to improve career readiness for all Wyoming students, by adding rigor and value to programs that prepare high school students for careers.

A state team will develop a process to use economic development data to strengthen career education, initiate programs spanning secondary and postsecondary levels, and form a steering committee to make ongoing recommendations. Members of the team include Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, Security First Bank President Ron Van Voast, University of Wyoming President Dick McGinity, Simon Contractors Business Development Director Mark Madsen, and Carbon County School District #1 Associate Superintendent Debi Gaines.

Superintendent Balow says that the goal is for Wyoming to be the best in the nation at preparing students for life after high school: “This initiative is the anchor that will help us ensure Wyoming students are ready for the next step after high school; whether that is the workplace, higher education, technical training, or the military. We will use labor market data and continuous input from business and industry to set priorities and pathways for career readiness. All students need access to an intentional sequence of courses that span academics, technical skills, and employability skills.”

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) will facilitate the implementation of recommendations made in Opportunities and Options, a report of CCSSO’s Career Readiness Task Force. The report encourages states to make high school programs more responsive to the labor market by partnering with the employer community.

 

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