I am nearly one year removed as a HS Career & Technical Education (CTE) instructor. CTE is the "new" term, vocational, go-ag, shop, home ec, are all outdated terms these days. That said, I'll lend my thoughts and try to keep it brief.
First, career guidance needs to start at home. Parents need to help their kids explore and develop their strengths and interests. They also need to be realistic with their children and understand that not every kid is going to be a neurosurgeon or professional athlete. Then, as they get to high school, be involved as the student signs up for classes. Don't let them throw darts at the wall or choose the easy courses. Too many leave this up to the schools and counselors and while they can and should help, the students need guidance from home first and foremost.
The second part of this is the fact that the state department of education (DOE) establishes what kids are expected to learn. Schools must abide by this. Most states are expanding CTE offerings and including them in the learning plans, but even still certain math, english, science, etc. must be taught. SD has a more CTE centered pathway to graduation, but it is still centered on the core academic areas. I can't count the number of kids who were reading Shakespeare but should have been reading repair manuals. But, kids do need a foundation of core coursework to do well in any occupation, so I support that.
There are other countries that "track" students into certain career paths early in education. While I see some strengths in this, there are also drawbacks. A student in a strong CTE program can often come out with skills nearly equivalent to a post-secondary tech school. But, many students have no idea what they want to do at age 14 and that is a huge life choice they must make. Many students also want to choose the path of least resistance and see CTE courses as the best way to do little. Good CTE courses are rigorous and don't fit this bill, but the reputation is still out there. I'm just hesitant to place kids into a box that they may not really want to be in down the road. I think if students and parents do their jobs, tracking isn't needed nor helpful.
I do agree with more life skills being taught, but it is a challenge given required coursework. I also see in this argument too many people thinking there is a pile of HS boys who just want to pound nails, fix cars, and weld. While there is that group, there are also groups that want to explore healthcare occupations, business, and other high demand career options. Too often CTE is viewed as the "vocational" end of things and it is so much more. I always told students that they would all live in a house someday. Though it probably made sense, I couldn't teach a course on home ownership to all students. So, I tried to integrate core home ownership items into my regular courses. I didn't have a course on electricity, but I made sure all students could wire an outlet and a light/switch. Our ag mechanics instructor made sure kids could change oil and do basic maintenance. Point is, integrating these types of skills into courses that affect the majority rather than the minority is more beneficial IMO. If a student really wants to weld, many schools have the programs to get a good basis to further their education at a tech school or with on the job training.
CTE education is about educating students to apply their skills in many occupations. It doesn't always have to be specific to just one core of kids. I'd rather have 100 kids in a HS that can change a tire versus 10 that can overhaul the engine.
