A better blend of academic and technical instruction is needed in Kentucky to prepare young people for a 21st Century economy. That’s one of the conclusions of a report given to state lawmakers in Frankfort on Monday (June 9).
The report was prepared by the Southern Regional Educational Board, which was asked to complete an assessment of Kentucky’s 95 career and technical education centers.
Gene Bottoms is senior vice president of the Georgia-based, non-profit organization. He says too many young people in Kentucky today, especially men, don’t possess the range of skills necessary to land a good job in a technical field.
Bottoms says today’s graduates must be able to read and understand technical manuals, sharpen their proficiency in algebra and geometry and develop critical thinking skills. He says too many of Kentucky’s young people don’t understand what they need to know to get a good job in a technical field.
Bottoms adds that teachers should be giving assignments that include reading and applying data from the text in problem-solving.
