Everett receives first districtwide Chapter 74 CTE advisory report; chairs recommend certifications, equipment and partnerships

The Everett School Committee on June 16 heard the district’s first general advisory committee report for Chapter 74 career and technical education (CTE) programs, where industry representatives urged new certification tracks, equipment upgrades and deeper partnerships with colleges and employers.

"We are making history here tonight at Everett High School by having the first ever general advisory committee for chapter 74 programs here in the district," said Siobhan Araya, the district’s director of career and technical education, opening the presentation.

Members of program advisory committees (PACs) for eight Chapter 74 programs — advanced manufacturing, carpentry, culinary arts, health assisting, hospitality management, marketing, medical assisting and programming and web development — summarized findings from fall and spring PAC meetings and offered specific recommendations. The chairs highlighted workforce alignment, industry-recognized certifications and hands-on experience as common priorities.

Advanced manufacturing chair Mikaela Konopka said the PAC emphasized aligning instruction with industry expectations and pursuing certifications in 3D printing and robotics, and flagged a regional shortage of machinists. "This program should explore certification pathways in 3D printing and robotics, develop awareness of community college partnerships, and address industry demand for machine shop skills," she said.

Acting for the carpentry PAC chair, instructor Eric Pierce said members recommended better tool inventory management, additional certifications such as hot-work and hoisting, and stronger community and union partnerships to expand co-op and apprenticeship opportunities.

Culinary chair Victoria Fabo described a generally strong kitchen setup but urged some equipment updates, tighter safety/flow layout and use of the program’s grab-and-go operations as a real-world revenue and marketing learning lab. She recommended CPR certification alongside existing ServSafe training.

Health-assisting chair Amy Pierce told the committee PAC members requested new hospital beds and blood-pressure equipment, more diverse PAC representation and expanded clinical rotations with area hospitals to support certification and real-world exposure.

Hospitality chair Damien Gant recommended securing point-of-sale and property-management systems and adding industry field experiences. Marketing chair Jana Ballard urged integration of short-form video, SEO, AI tools and industry-standard creative platforms into curriculum. Medical assisting chair Molly Paone recommended more clinical site visits and communication training for elder-care settings. Programming chair Isaac Coward asked the district to finalize classroom software and space, adopt agile project-management and expand school-based IT roles; he noted ongoing conversations with the district chief technology officer about student IT support.

Superintendent Hart told the committee the advisory recommendations are already being funnelled back to teachers and that implementation will be paced by available funding and timelines. "We have been working on all of these recommendations for the past month or so," Araya said, noting that some initiatives are in progress and others will be pursued with upcoming Perkins grant funding.

Hart also told the committee he had received notice that the state legislative conference committee budget includes an additional $100,000,000 for CTE programs; he thanked the legislature and said the district will consider how that funding might support program expansion.

By law the PACs are required to meet twice per year, and Araya said the district convened fall and spring meetings this year and then assembled the general advisory meeting to summarize PAC recommendations for district leadership and the school committee. Araya and PAC chairs asked the school committee and community members to refer potential industry members to the CTE office to expand PAC membership.

The committee voted, 8-0, to accept the CTE general advisory committee report and place it on file.

Looking ahead, presenters said the district will prioritize certification pathways, targeted equipment purchases, more clinical and field experiences and expanded employer and community-college partnerships. Many recommendations will be considered for funding through the Perkins grant cycle and other sources.

The presentation concluded with committee members asking how industry volunteers were recruited; Araya said teachers used professional networks, social media and the local Chamber of Commerce to recruit PAC members and that PAC chairs will continue outreach over the summer.

The committee accepted the report and placed it on file, 8-0.