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CTE director outlines growth in career and technical education, certifications and a $100,000 grant request
Summary
Jeff Stenders, director of CTE and alternative education, updated the TLE committee on program enrollments, industry credentials, regional career pathways, partnerships with Blackhawk Technical College and a pending Department of Workforce Development Fast Forward grant request for a $100,000 robotic welding cell.
Jeff Stenders, the district’s director of career and technical education (CTE) and alternative education, presented a multi‑year update on CTE programs, enrollments, certifications and grant activity.
Stenders said the district offers pathways including automotive, welding, early childhood, hospitality and business and that middle‑school exposure classes feed high‑school pathways. “We have 2,385 students enrolled in 32 CT classes,” Stenders said, noting some students take multiple classes and are therefore counted more than once.
He described work‑based learning and credentialing: youth apprenticeship and cooperative education models require substantial hours (Stenders described a 450‑hour youth apprenticeship that can span about 15 months), and the district partners with Blackhawk Technical College to offer advanced‑standing opportunities. Stenders reported recent gains in CNC certifications (“we had 16 passed about 2 weeks ago”) and said the district submitted 85 certifications to the incentive grant last year; that submission will be reflected in future graduated‑senior counts.
Stenders outlined funding sources: the Perkins grant (federal CTE funding tied to enrollment), the Wisconsin CTE incentive grant (referred to as Act 59), and other grants and local budgets. He said he had applied to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Fast Forward program for $100,000 to buy a robotic welding cell to expand an advanced manufacturing pathway.
The presentation also highlighted student experiences — guaranteed tenth‑grade mock interviews, senior portfolios, regional career pathway listings and a SkillsUSA chapter that recently earned a state gold chapter of excellence. Stenders said the district is expanding hospitality to include distinct culinary and hospitality management tracks and is working to establish a CNA lab at Beloit Memorial High School with partners including Blackhawk Technical College and Beloit College.
Community members and committee members praised the programs and asked about placement and long‑term outcomes. Stenders said placement in early‑childhood practicums is challenging but ongoing, citing partnerships with the YMCA and local childcare providers; he also noted that collecting post‑graduation employment data is difficult because of low response rates to follow‑up surveys.
The item was presented for information; no board action was taken.
