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What a whirlwind year.
From the welders vs. philosophers debate to a White House effort to reform effective Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, technical education held a major spotlight in 2015 news headlines.
I expect no less in 2016. Here are a few predictions of how technical education will evolve next year.
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Vocational Education Will Lose Its Bad Rap Once and For All
We’ve all heard the misconceptions. Technical trades equal hard labor. The work isn’t intellectually stimulating. Those with a two-year technical degree earn less than those with a four-year degree.
They aren’t true and people are starting to realize it. Mass media is starting to help the public understand that CTE covers a broad range of skills in automotive technology, construction, design, engineering, and healthcare. In 2016 we’ll see the stigma eliminated. Parents and students will no longer look at CTE as some sort of backup plan to a four-year institution.
Mechatronics, Civil Programs, and Health Sciences Will Be Popular
There are a few standout technical degree programs that will be most popular in 2016.
Reshoring has boosted the popularity of two-year degree programs in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and other similar technical related jobs. There’s a huge demand lately for mechatronics and electro-mechanical programs, which places mechatronics programs at the top of the list.
Civil programs will remain popular just as they were this year, however with a few changes. We’ll see an increased focus on materials testing and structures. Environmental engineering programming will place sustainable design front and center.
Additionally, curriculum will blend fundamental sciences, engineering and social sciences, but also include niche fields of study relevant to the school’s local job market, like mining or public works.
The health sciences field is also growing in popularity. There is always a need for more nurses, medical technicians, occupational therapists, EMTs, and pharmacy technicians so this STEM field will continue to be a key focus in CTE programs.
What will drop off in popularity? Gas and oil programs (caused by the low cost of energy).
This can save instructors a lot of money in programs that traditionally require a lot of consumables, like welding programs.
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Augmented Reality Will Help Schools Save
Augmented reality is one of those allusive technologies we’re still figuring into education. While you may find universities setting up virtual reality learning labs with devices like the Oculus Rift, the technology is also taking hold in technical education schools.
Augmented reality technology combines real-world objects with multimedia simulation to create a virtual interaction within a student’s current environment. The end result is a realistic training experience through simulation.
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Diversity Will Take Center Stage
Workforce diversity is a major issue. While the spotlight has been on large tech companies like Facebook and Google to provide transparency into their diversity numbers, we will see this become a bigger issue in technical education.
We’ve already seen progress made within the education system, especially with regard to computer science. Next year we’ll see a great focus within all STEM fields, including those within CTE programming.
We’ll Hear Even More About the Skills Gap
Let’s face it. This issue isn’t going away. Report after report is pointing to the exiting baby boomer generation and the need for more skilled workers. From manufacturing to the HVAC-R industry, will we be able to educate, train and produce enough qualified workers to fill the forthcoming influx of jobs? Only time will tell.
What do you foresee 2016 will hold for technical education? Tell us in the comments section below.
