On April 18, John McGlade, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Air Products and SkillsUSA’s CEO Champion of the Year, was the keynote speaker during the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education consortium (NASDCTEc) Joint Spring Meeting with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education in Washington, D.C. In attendance for the luncheon were Joe Pietrantonio, Lauri Gostley-Hackett, Diane Donaher and a representative from Air Products’ Washington, D.C. office. Two VIP tables were reserved for them during the luncheon and directors from the states where Air Products has a major presence were seated with them.
John’s remarks referenced his own connection to CTE. He frequently praised the work of SkillsUSA and Air Products’ partnership with SkillsUSA, and the importance of soft (“21st Century”) skills. His overall theme was that successful enterprises take advantage of changing times. John’s speech – and the presence of Air Products – was frequently referenced from that point during the three-day conference, including the presentations on the new brand initiative for CTE and both of the closing speeches by the outgoing and incoming presidents.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan also spoke. His remarks were also quoted during the conference, but not happily. He confirmed not only that federal funding for CTE had been cut $140.2 million this year, but that the President’s budget would propose a cut to $1 billion in fiscal 2012, when funding has been at the $1.3 billion level for many years. Unfortunately, the federal cuts might also precipitate state CTE funding cuts as well. An advocacy campaign directed toward Congress is underway, and SkillsUSA and its partners are considered important parts of the coalition. There will be much more to come on all of this.
Also unveiled during the conference was a new brand for CTE. The slogan is “CTE: Learning the Works for America.” There are many nice features, talking points and some great statistics on the value of CTE. Items are to be available online in mid-May. They come along just in time for the advocacy campaign. SkillsUSA did serve on the select advisory committee for the brand initiative.
Over 300 national and international corporate executives, community leaders and CTE students and their teachers attended the reception and dinner in the Waldorf=Astoria Grand Ballroom. They were there to honor John McGlade and Air Products’ support for career and technical education and SkillsUSA. As reported in the Allentown, Pa. Morning Call: “John McGlade . . . [who] studied civil engineering at what the school district then called its vocational-technical school – was honored Monday as one of the programs’ chief national boosters . . . He credits technical education with giving him a leg up on his career.”
Since 1966, SkillsUSA has facilitated “the long line of red blazers” headed to Capitol Hill in September. The 2010 Washington Leadership Training Institute continued this tradition and was one of the best institutes ever held. I could not be more pleased with what I saw from the students and advisors during every phase of this year’s event. I heard comments from a West Virginia teacher who said: “This is the best experience I’ve had in my 20-plus years of teaching.” From an administrator from New York: “I’ve never been to a conference as organized as this one. Every event is on time and the quality of the activities and presenters has been first class. I’m taking the message back to other administrators in my state that this is an event of extremely high value and others should participate.” And, from a student from Alabama who told me: “This week has changed my life.” And, there were many, many more positive comments just like these.