Career and Technical Education prepares students for today’s high-wage, high-skill, high-demand jobs
“I grew up tearing engines apart and putting them back together, modifying them to do what I wanted,” said Luke Dillenbeck, a 17-year-old senior at Coloma High School. “That kind of thing clicked with me right away and always came naturally to me.”
WHILE IT TAKES SOME KIDS a while to figure out what they’re good at, Luke Dillenbeck has always known he has a mechanical mind—a simple knack for how things work.
“I grew up tearing engines apart and putting them back together, modifying them to do what I wanted,” he said. “That kind of thing clicked with me right away and always came naturally to me.”
And while it also takes some kids time to find their professional niches in life, Luke is discovering his potential career paths earlier than others as well.
A 17-year-old senior at Coloma High School, Luke is already working as an automotive technology intern at Coloma Motorsports. As the youngest worker on staff, he does a little bit of everything, he says, from winterizing boats to swapping out motors on four-wheelers. He loves being outside, doing hard work, and getting lots of hands-on experience. It is, he says, “the perfect job.”
Best of all, in addition to getting paid, he’s also earning class credit toward his automotive technology course at Coloma High School—which is part of Berrien County Career & Technical Education.
Relevant & engaging
Career & Technical Education (CTE) combines academic and technical skills with the knowledge and training needed to succeed in today's labor market. CTE prepares students for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies in a real-world, applied context. While automotive technology is a field that’s arguably been associated with technical education the longest, CTE today prepares students for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers—some of which didn’t even exist a generation ago.
There are many trades that often require less schooling and are in demand for fields such as healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, construction, and automotive. In Michigan, there are 545,000 professional trade jobs, including 15,000 that are skilled, with 47,000 new job openings expected annually.
Career & Technical Education is an essential component of the total educational system in Berrien County. With 66 CTE programs, Berrien County Career & Technical Education offers diverse programming for secondary students—including the 2,345 students currently enrolled in its CTE classes.
Programs offered include agriscience, construction trades, graphic arts, commercial art, radio & TV broadcasting, business administration, accounting, aviation, machine tool, woodworking, culinary arts, cosmetology, criminal justice, health science, marketing, mechanical drafting, robotics, and more.
Its purpose is to create a more relevant, engaging high school experience by combining the rigorous core academics that students need for college, if they choose that direction, with career and technical education that makes them employable, regardless of their track.
Berrien County does not have a physical CTE center, but it is accessible and available to all of our Berrien County high school students through a system of shared time programs available at most of the county’s local high schools. If a local school district does not offer a specific CTE course, students are able to travel to a district that does offer the desired course. Every day, hundreds of high school students cross district lines to take advantage of CTE programs offered in other districts.
About 30% of Berrien County high school students take CTE classes. CTE boasts a graduation rate of 94.5% and a placement rate of 96%.
According to Chris Machiniak, the Assistant Superintendent of Career & Technical Education and System Improvement at Berrien RESA, not only does career-relevant education keep students engaged in school, but studies have shown that students in such programs have higher graduation rates than students who did not take CTE courses.
“Our goal is to create multiple career pathway options for our students that stress a rigorous core academic curriculum and focus it in a manner that emphasizes hands-on, critical thinking skills that are vital for the employment of our students in the future,” Chris said.
“Whether their next step involves pursuing two, four, or more years of advanced degrees, trade schools, the military, apprenticeships, or pursuing their career choice through on-the-job training, our goal is to ensure they are equipped to take those next steps,” he said.
Potential directions
Ryan Ransom, Luke’s Automotive Technology Instructor at Coloma High School, is himself a perfect example of how technical education opportunities can open up unexpected career paths.
Ryan was a student in the automotive program at Van Buren Tech Center in Lawrence in the mid-90s. He worked as a technician at two car dealerships before he was recruited by Van Buren Tech Center to be service and production manager, arranging work projects for students. After working there with two veteran teachers for six years, he took on his current role in Coloma, where he has been for 17 years now.
“The automotive industry is so big and so diverse—there are all kinds of jobs in it,” he said. “Maybe a student doesn’t want to wrench but work in the industry in other ways. They can start to figure this out now when it doesn’t cost anything.”
Students join his class for a variety of reasons—maybe they just want to learn enough to tinker with their car, or maybe just because their friends take it—and then there are also students like Luke, who Ryan calls “a promising, perceptive student and a very gifted technician.”
“Luke had lots of pieces of knowledge, but he needed formal training to put it all together,” Ryan said. “His interest went beyond the basics—he wanted to do things that were different and hard. He’s learning how to come up with strategies to tackle problems.”
Ryan says the industry needs technicians—good ones like Luke—badly. “It’s at dire levels,” he said. “Shops are backed up with work, and the average age of technicians is getting older.”
Luke will graduate from high school in the spring of 2022, and he wants to stay open to all career options. He says he’s recently developed an interest in electrical work as well, which could apply to automotive or in other capacities.
“Electrical is not my strongest area—yet—but I’m a hands-on learner, and I feel I could excel at it with some experience,” Luke said.
No need to merely bet on that possibility. With the training Luke has received from CTE, he can build on it instead.
“Luke had lots of pieces of knowledge, but he needed formal training to put it all together,” his teacher said. “His interest went beyond the basics—he wanted to do things that were different and hard. He’s learning how to come up with strategies to tackle problems.”
UWSM advocates for greater support of career & technical education
Our 2022 advocacy agenda specifically focuses on youth, young adults, and those from marginalized communities. UWSM recognizes that the strength and vitality of communities is tied to just and equitable access to resources and opportunities. We support actively dismantling barriers to resources and opportunities in education and economic mobility.
One of United Way’s 2022 advocacy agenda items is: Increase availability and accessibility of career & technical education programs to provide students with multiple pathways to a living wage as adults.
How can we accomplish this?
Promote Career & Technical Education Opportunities for K-12 students by educating local families and leaders about the value of CTE.
Why is this important in Southwest Michigan?
There is a need in our trades industries for certified individuals, but we don't have enough people getting certified through high-school or post-secondary programs. A strong focus and investment in career pathway programs will allow students to begin education in K-12 that leads to certifications and degrees in post-secondary programs.
Career & Technical Education is an essential component to equipping students for success in BOTH college and career.
Career & Technical Education creates multiple career pathway options for our students by combining relevant, engaging experiences in both the classroom as well as industry.
Career & Technical Education creates a more relevant, engaging high school experience by combining the rigorous core academics that students need for college with the career and technical education that makes them employable, and to do it in an applied, hands-on way that includes real-life experience.
Ryan Ransom, Luke’s Automotive Technology Instructor at Coloma High School, is himself a perfect example of how technical education opportunities can open up unexpected career paths.
With 66 CTE programs, Berrien County Career & Technical Education offers diverse programming for secondary students—including the 2,345 students currently enrolled in its CTE classes.
About 30% of Berrien County high school students take CTE classes. CTE boasts a graduation rate of 94.5% and a placement rate of 96%.
Photos by Ashley Tenter