2024 CTE Works! Summit

Black youth in Minneapolis/St. Paul currently face the highest disparities in racial wealth gaps, employment, and educational attainment due to systemic challenges that have yet to be dismantled. What do solutions to close these racial equity gaps look like when young adults are not only the center of this work, but co-designers using their lived experience to inform the systems and structures that should be altered to ensure they are not only able to reach their academic and career goals, but thrive. Join this discussion and learn about efforts to create positive, impactful, measurable change.

After this session, you will:

1. Understand how to bring diverse stakeholders across a complex ecosystem together with common vision.
2. Understand ways and methods to having young adults at the center of co-designing solutions as active participants in the process.
3. Understand key insights to the research and the process of prioritizing solutions with young adults."

This presentation will outline the Equity 2030 Framework for Minnesota State and explain how it guides our work as a system. The presentation will include the key metrics to assess the system’s progress towards Equity 2030 goals, tools and resources that are available systemwide to support this work, and highlight promising practices that help to reduce equity gaps.

This presentation will outline the Equity 2030 Framework for Minnesota State – this was presented to the Board of Trustees in June, and is being rolled out this fall. This will include an overview of the primary goal of Equity 2030, the 6 dimensions that constitute the initiative, and how this work is relevant to everyone, in all roles and functional areas.

The four key metrics will be outlined (student success outcomes including: completion, persistence, course success and co-curricular/campus climate), as well as how this data is disaggregated to examine the equity gaps of key demographics (race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, first-generation status). Insights will also be shared about the progress our system has made in the first five years of Equity 2030, and reflections on next steps for the remaining five years.

This will be followed by an overview of select systemwide tools, resources and datasets that are available to our system community to leverage in their Equity 2030 work. This will include the Equity Scorecard, Equity by Design, Terms of Equity and Inclusion, Campus Climate assessments, and integrating equity considerations into campus-level evaluation.

The final portion of the presentation will highlight examples of Equity 2030 Promising Practices that have been identified by Minnesota State institutions and leveraged across each of the 6 dimensions of Equity 2030: Enhanced Access, Academic Success, Student Engagement, Evidence-based, Financial Resources, as well as Workforce and Talent Diversity.

By the end of this presentation, audience members will be able to:

1. Understand the objective of Equity 2030, how progress towards the goals of the strategic initiative is being measured, and how this is relevant to their work.
2. Be able to locate and access Equity 2030 tools, resources and data sources that can inform their work.
3. Identify an Equity 2030 promising practice that can be integrated into their own work/role.

Maybe You Should Fly a Jet, Maybe You Should Be a Vet. Dr Suess emphasized nontraditional occupations more than 40 years ago! …but so much has changed. This interactive session details the results of a comparative study on the motivational influences of nontraditional career seekers in Wisconsin. Topics for this session include the impacts of stereotypes on career choice, real and perceived barriers to entering a nontraditional occupation, and what can schools do to incentivize youth into nontraditional gender programs and vocations. Also, this session seeks to understand what impacts nontraditional gender roles have today on secondary students.

The target audiences for this presentation are secondary and post-secondary teachers, administrators, school counselors, career guidance personnel, and other post-secondary and career advocates curious about motivational factors and passionate about understanding the challenges students face today with career choice.
This interactive session will allow participants to discuss their current practices in incentivizing students into nontraditional programs and vocations. This session will also allow participants to analyze their current practices and identify strategies to engage students interested in nontraditional pathways.

Attendees will be given advanced graphic organizers to triangulate strategies and identify institutional barriers to engaging students interested in nontraditional pathways. Attendees will also be provided with an infographic detailing the results of the study.

After this session, you will be able to:

• Discuss occupational gender stereotypes.
• Describe some of the barriers to students entering nontraditional programs and vocations, and
• Develop strategies to incentivize students into nontraditional gender programs and vocations.

This session addresses the continual challenge of supporting ESL/ELL students to succeed in healthcare careers, particularly in nursing assistant programs. The focus is developing pre-training programs that enhance English proficiency tailored to healthcare. Participants will explore innovative strategies to align career and technical education with ESL/ELL students' unique needs, ensuring they are well-prepared to enter high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand jobs. The session will highlight best practices, technology integration, and community partnerships that contribute to improved outcomes for these learners.

Due to language barriers, high schools and higher education institutions face ongoing challenges in preparing ESL/ELL students for success in nursing assistant programs. This session presents a comprehensive approach to pre-training these students, equipping them with the necessary English proficiency to thrive in healthcare careers.

Participants will explore:

1. Targeted Language Instruction: Developing healthcare-specific English language curricula that address the vocabulary, communication skills, and cultural nuances critical for success in nursing assistant roles.

2. Innovative Use of Technology: Leveraging Virtual Reality (VR), Mobile Applications (Apps), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create immersive language-learning environments that simulate real-life healthcare settings, providing ESL/ELL students with practical, hands-on experience.

3. Supportive Learning Environments: Strategies for creating inclusive and culturally responsive learning environments that accommodate the diverse needs of ESL/ELL students.

4. Partnerships and Resources: How to build and sustain effective partnerships with community organizations, Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs, and healthcare employers to provide comprehensive support, including language assistance, job placement, and ongoing mentorship.

This session is designed for educators, program administrators, and community partners in K-12 and higher education who want to develop or enhance programs that support ESL/ELL students in achieving healthcare career readiness. Attendees will gain actionable insights and resources to implement in their institutions.

After this session, you will be able to:

• Develop pre-training programs that effectively enhance English proficiency for ESL/ELL students in healthcare, with a focus on nursing assistant roles.
• Incorporate VR, mobile apps, and AI technologies into ESL/ELL language instruction to create engaging and practical learning experiences.
• Implement culturally responsive teaching strategies that address ESL/ELL students' unique needs in healthcare education.
• Foster partnerships that offer comprehensive support to ESL/ELL students, from language development to job placement in healthcare careers.

My Path is a CARF accredited Community Partner with Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) of MN. Through this partnership, we work with individuals with disabilities to establish and accomplish their employment related goals. Through this work, we have developed several partnerships with businesses and schools throughout the state. Learn more about the services we provide and the opportunities to partner with My Path.

Our mission is simple, “Build confidence and independence in individuals with disabilities while fostering the courage and perseverance to accomplish their goals.” We accomplish this in several ways. At the core of everything we do is creating opportunities and experiences for the individuals we serve.

When we get a referral from VRS, there is no cost to the participant. The state of MN covers all costs associated with a client working with My Path. We can provide a variety of individualized services which are delivered 1 on 1 with the client and a My Path Employment Specialist. These services can include, Workplace Readiness, Career exploration, Post-Secondary Exploration, Self Advocacy, Introductory Work Activities, Permit Prep, Post-Secondary Support, INdependent LIving Skills, Social Coaching, Public Transportation Training and assistance with job searching for both short term jobs and long term careers. We are able to start working with individuals while they are in high school and can continue to work with them throughout their career journey. There is also no age limit to clients we can work with. With each client we work with, we establish long term goals and short term objectives to make concrete progress on the goals.

Another service we are able to provide is called a “Work Experience.” When a client completes a Work Experience, they work at a business we have established a partnership with, but they are not a former employee of the business. They are employees of My Path, are paid by My Path but work a set and agreed upon schedule at the business. We have partnered with companies across the state including, Walgreens, Caribou Coffee, Fanatics, HyVee, Coborns, TPI Hospitality, Twist Ease, Dedicated Networks, Asmodee, YMCA, and others. We are always looking to establish new partnerships relative to the interests and strengths of our clients.

Aside from Work Experiences, we also offer informational interviews, job shadows, company tours and other ways to increase the understanding of a variety of industries and careers. For example, we have worked with several clients to explore the trades. Some clients have come in with interest and others developed interest after working with us to explore all the trade related careers. Once we have established partnerships, we can work with our clients and VRS offices to help identify clients that would be a good fit for a given industry. In a sense, we can work with companies to recruit qualified candidates.

Through our work with clients, we complete a lot of Postsecondary Exploration and research. This research can include 4 year programs, 2 year programs, certificates and on the job training. Much like our business partnership, we look to establish positive relationships with schools and training opportunities across the state.

My Path hopes and would appreciate the opportunity to present at this year's Career and Technical Education Summit. We want to increase the knowledge and understanding of what we do at My Path, but also how VRS operates and the role they can play in helping individuals find meaningful, long term careers.

After this session, you will be able to:

• Increase understanding of My Path, the services we provide and the opportunities we provide to our clients.
• Increase understanding of how VRS operates and the role they play in helping individuals with disabilities find long term meaningful careers.
• Increase understanding of the variety of ways local businesses, training centers and educational institutes can partner with My Path to increase their enrollment and qualified applicants. 

Highly skilled early childhood educators are important to the children, families, and profession. Some educators are being left out of higher education institutions due to English not being their primary language. Offering college courses in other languages is possible and can help grow the field!

The barriers to transition from an all-English track for awards in Early Childhood Education to adding a second language can be challenging within a State System of Colleges and Universities. The presenters will share what the barriers were and how they overcame them to establish the first Spanish Language award at their college.

You'll learn how to:

• Outline the process to determine if a different language track for program courses is viable.
• Identify barriers to adding different language tracks at an institute of higher education.
• Chart a path to higher award levels in different languages or adding multiple languages to a program.