45°
To the editor:
Connecticut’s diversity and long history of innovative industry have much to offer global employers.
But our state is caught in a skills gap — the gulf between what employers are looking for in employees, and what high school graduates can deliver. A high school diploma is no longer enough in today’s or tomorrow’s competitive economy. Connecticut needs educational programs that map a clear pathway from high school to college and career. And that’s exactly what we’re getting with the Pathways in Technology Early College High School, the so-called P-TECH model created by IBM for schools in New York and Chicago for grades 9 to 14, which is now rolling out across Connecticut.
Here’s how it works.
School districts, community colleges and corporations collaborate on the curriculum of each P-TECH school to be sure it’s academically rigorous and directed toward jobs in growing economic sectors. P-TECH programs teach workplace skills in addition to traditional courses, and each P-TECH partnership continually updates its school’s curriculum to ensure its job market relevance.
P-TECH graduates receive both a high school diploma and a no-cost associate degree in technology. And, in Norwalk, academy graduates will be first in line for jobs with IBM.
All P-TECH scholars get mentors from their school’s corporate partner.
P-TECH schools are open admission. There is no testing to get in.
These schools operate within existing district budgets.
P-TECH is all about focusing existing resources more effectively rather than spending more on programs we know don’t work.
We’re seeing previously at-risk young people motivated for the first time to excel. We’re seeing students learning to interact with adult professionals, preparing for adult responsibilities and changing the perceptions of their value to hiring companies.
We’re seeing a renaissance in American education that’s attracting attention across the country and around the world. With the expansion of the IBM P-TECH model to eastern Connecticut, we’re also seeing how these programs are designed to work in any community to ensure a better future for its children. It’s an innovation that more Connecticut communities should institute for their students.
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