During this time of year, many people from community colleges, trade schools, workforce centers and school staff shift their focus towards the end of the year. Budgets get passed, staff members put in their retirement papers, and the results from testing arrive.

Spring brings the promise not only of warm weather but also uncertainty to educators as the testing season. Those that have been through this experience will attest that the daunting experience is nerve-racking. 

As we brace for the testing season, we often reflect on a critical theme.

Are we really preparing our students for the industry certification tests they are about to take?

It does not matter whether students take the NOCTI, CAN, A+ or another test, if these elements are not in place, an overwhelming majority of students will not make the cut score:

• Having subject matter experts who can differentiate lessons;
• Ensuring the class has the most up to date equipment and resources;
• Writing strong pacing and curriculum that reflect the high standards.

When one or more of these things are not in place, it’s pretty much a certainty that more funding will be needed for retakes to boost up the pass rate.

Vouchers can range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars which means monies promised for other initiatives are deferred to another year.

Having a Technical Panel of industry experts assists the teacher in retrieving information not covered in the resources or materials. Here they provide valuable insight on areas that would require more focus.

Additional Funding continues to be a catalyst in any endeavor. More funding enables state of the art equipment, the ability to purchase the most recent edition of books, professional development for instructors to update curriculum and visit job sites that correlate to the classes they teach.

Allowing business partners in the subject matter to Co-teach remains an untapped opportunity. This is a strategy most administrators don’t think about and has lots of advantages to incorporate. When multiple teachers are in the classroom, greater interaction takes place with the class and a higher level of understanding when cobbled with student-centered activities.

So you may be asking yourself why is this so important. Well...the answer is very simple. 

Human Resource personnel require certain jobs to have certifications with them and that's the difference between a large pool of applicants versus a small number of qualified applicants.

That why I ask that you consider fusing all three of these ideas to improve your results and over time, can change the culture of the building.

So what’s your solution to increase industry certification scores in your district?

When it comes to filling the workforce, certification tests are an integral part. But are we really preparing our future employees to pass them?

#workforce #industry #prepare