- Why do educators teach?
- Why do industry experts write instructional materials about Career, Technical, or Health Education?
- Why do students choose a particular career pathway or think about incorporating health and wellness into their lifestyle?
The answer is simple: it’s because the future is bright.
It’s energizing to hear the curious questions from students when they are trying to grasp a new concept, see the look of success on their faces when they have an Aha moment, watch them help a peer with their new-found knowledge, or cheer them on as they compete in a CTSO competition.
We—educators, authors, industry partners, and publishers—are here to help students explore their future, find their passion, and ultimately, build a career. Their future might be filling one of the 1.8 million annual openings in Healthcare; securing a job that lets them do what they love—such as working with their hands as an Automotive Technician, in Construction, or in Agriculture; or landing a dream job as a High School teacher making more than $65,000 a year, or in IT, earning a median annual wage of $104,420. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
But the workforce needs more than technical skills. A recent Forbes article reports that “84% of employees and managers believe that new employees must possess soft skills and demonstrate them in the hiring process.” Studies show that soft skills are actually more important for the long term, because employers hire for hard skills, and promote for soft skills. Let’s help the next generation develop key employability skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution.
In addition, employers want a workforce that understands the importance of health and wellness—so that workers are well rested, are healthy enough to show up for work, exhibit a growth mindset, and possess the social skills to interact well with others.
Today’s students need it all—Career and Technical Skills, Professional and Employability Skills, and Health and Wellness Skills. If we can educate the whole person, we will set them up with the complete set of skills they need for success.
We know the future is bright—let’s make sure that they do, too!
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