Background+and+History

Dramatic changes occurred in the workplace during the last half of the twentieth century. In 1950, 60 percent of jobs required a high school diploma or less, 20 percent required two years of post-secondary technical training and 20 percent required a four-year college degree. In the year 2000, less than 15 percent of the job market will require a high school diploma or less, 65 percent will require two years of post-secondary technical training, and the percentage of jobs requiring a four-year degree will remain at 20 percent. The percentage of skilled and unskilled jobs between the years 1950 and 2000 has changed dramatically.
 * __Background and History__**
 * The advancement of technology has created drastic changes in the job market. The influence of technology can be found in virtually every aspect of our lives. Many of the jobs in existence now did not exist ten or even five years ago. U.S. companies now operate in an international economy which creates greater competition at home and abroad. The skills needed to get and keep a job are continually changing and all workers will face a need to be lifelong learners.
 * While education is sometimes accused of not adapting to change, in reality considerable effort and resources are being applied to revising and updating programs and creating new programs to meet the skill requirements of the workplace. The junior high CTE Introduction course, the Career and Technical Education Core requirement for middle school/junior high school students, is no exception. Following the Great Depression and World War II, junior high students were required to enroll in courses that emphasized self-sufficiency skills. Boys were required to participate in "industrial arts" and girls in "home economics" courses. Following the passage of Title IX and the reduced stereotyping of adult roles, students were required to earn one unit of credit in either home economics or industrial arts. In the mid-70's, both of these courses began to de-emphasize self-sufficiency skills and place greater emphasis on hands-on exploration activities related to careers.
 * In the late 80's the career exploration emphasis of the junior high CTE core requirement led to the development of a single course which was broadened to include exploration activities from the fields of agriculture, business, information technology, marketing, and health occupations. The new course, known as Career and Technical Education Introduction or CTE Intro (formerly Technology, Life and Careers or TLC), was adopted by the State Board of Education as a required Core course for all students, and is generally taught in the 7th grade. Over a period of several years, it was implemented in every junior high/middle school in the state.