skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, December 23, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump dismisses the notion that Musk is in charge; KY public schools: Large employers who help meet community needs; A giant policy question mark lies before smaller, independent farms; Historic Iowa gravesites at risk of being forgotten.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Congress passes a last-minute budget stopgap. Trump's second-term tariffs could harm farmers, and future budget cuts could reduce much-needed federal programs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural folks could soon be shut out of loans for natural disasters if Project 2025 has its way, Taos, New Mexico weighs options for its housing shortage, and the top states providing America's Christmas trees revealed.

Report: PA Could Learn from Germany about Career, Tech Education

play audio
Play

Wednesday, March 9, 2022   

A new report found Germany's investment in career and technical education could be a model for the Keystone State.

From a lack of sustained state investment in education to local agency decision-making, some districts have to limit the number of students who can attend a technical school, according to Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.

Kari King, president and CEO of the group, said although a European model might be difficult to replicate, Pennsylvania can learn from Germany's early commitment to career exploration, which starts as young as age 10.

"We hear that there's a lot of resources there for students, for their kind of career awareness once they're in that program," King explained. "But there's not so much of that open line of communication before the student gets to the career and technical education center, that they're aware that's an option."

There are more than 80 career and technical education (CTE) centers across the state.

King added improving access to CTE will be a challenge without increased funding from the state. Gov. Tom Wolf's final budget proposal includes $1.7 billion for education, including a little over $6 million for CTE.

She argued it is a start, but not a long-term solution for students in search of post-secondary plans.

"There's even a lot of options once you've chosen this path, that it's not locking you in to, you're 17 or 18, graduating high school and going directly into the workforce," King noted. "There's a multitude of options that a student can look through and determine what's going to make the most sense for them."

The report also suggests Pennsylvania can learn from Germany's partnership with local business communities. The German government enters into collaborative agreements with businesses to discuss workforce needs, which then inform curriculum development and apprenticeship programs.

Disclosure: Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children/KIDS COUNT contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, Early Childhood Education, Education, and Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
The Federal Trade Commission reported older adults are less likely to report scams than those ages 18-59. Because the majority of fraud cases are not reported, the commission estimates national losses last year alone may be as high as $61.5 billion. (fizkes/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The holidays are the busiest time of the year for many people, including scammers. Oregonians lost $136 million to holiday shopping scams last year…


Environment

play sound

Across Pennsylvania and other northern U.S. states, climate change -- from burning oil, coal and methane gas -- is increasing the number of winter …

Social Issues

play sound

The Internal Revenue Service will be in the crosshairs in the second Trump administration, as the president-elect's recently announced choice to run …


Millions of families across the U.S. depend on home-based child care, with over 750,000 children enrolled in these programs, often because parents consider them more flexible than traditional child care centers. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Alabama is part of a national program aimed at diversifying early childhood education. The Enriching Public Pre-K Through Inclusion of Family Child …

Social Issues

play sound

West Virginia schools' reliance on zero-tolerance policies are driving more kids into the juvenile justice system - with lifelong consequences…

Surveys by the National Alliance on Mental Illness have found 64% of people living with some form of mental illness say the holidays tend to make their conditions worse. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

If you find yourself in a less than festive mood this holiday season, you are not alone. In Wisconsin, the recent school shooting tragedy in Madison …

Environment

play sound

By Jennifer Oldham for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Colorado News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public…

Environment

play sound

From declining commodity prices to unpredictable weather, American farmers are at a crossroads - especially smaller operations. And they're …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021