CTE Expands Career Opportunities With Two New Pathways

Charlotte NC

17 February, 2021

11:30 AM

Description

Press release from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: 2/16/2021 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students will have two new Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways in the 2021-2022 school year. The Digital Marketing and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Pathways will be available for high school juniors and seniors, and expand the existing marketing pathway. "We want these pathways to stay relevant to what is needed in the marketplace," said Dr. Nakesha Dawson, pathway lead for Marketing and Digital Media Pathways. "Students will have the foundational knowledge to go to college or start a career. Employers are looking for hires that don't require a lot of upfront training, and this takes away the learning curve." Students in digital marketing will gain a thorough understanding of the marketplace and develop digital portfolios. They will learn to use Adobe software and earn Adobe certifications. Digital marketing will be offered at iMeck Academy at Cochrane and Butler, East Mecklenburg, North Mecklenburg, Olympic and Providence high schools. The CRM Pathway is the first of its kind in the country to be offered to high school students. Businesses use CRM to learn customer habits and target their marketing campaigns electronically. Students will learn to use Salesforce software and earn a Salesforce Admin certification. CRM will be offered at iMeck Academy at Cochrane and Butler, Garinger, Hopewell, Independence, Julius L. Chambers (Vance) and Mallard Creek high schools. "Salesforce is everywhere. Even in small-town America, a student can be employed and manage the system," Dawson said. "Companies have also told us that having the certification on a resume looks impressive. When they see that certification, you are now a person of interest and set up for that opportunity." Dawson and her team researched and wrote the pathway courses, which then had to be approved by the state. The entire process took three years to complete. CTE currently offers 21 pathways at select high schools, as well as discovery courses in some middle schools. Nancy Cowan, CTE liaison, said the pathways program was developed a few years ago under the leadership of CTE Director Susan Gann-Carroll and that every year is a work in progress, as more is added to the program. "She went out and asked industry leaders, 'What skills do you see your employees needing?'" Cowan said. "They not only answered, they stepped up. She's developed a great partnership with the Charlotte business community." Gann-Carroll discusses the new CTE pathways in the latest Hello CMS podcast. This press release was produced by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The views expressed are the author's own.