Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Career Technical Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District expands CTE pathways, stackable credentials and AI pilots to boost workforce alignment
Summary
CTE director Karen Gilbert and coordinator Dr. Lakisha Brantley told the board the district is rolling out a state-aligned pathways framework, 'stackable' industry credentials and AI pilots at Bluffton High, aiming to increase on-time graduation and postsecondary readiness.
District career-and-technical-education leaders briefed the board on May 19 about initiatives designed to align classroom training with local employer needs, including new state pathways, stackable certifications and an artificial-intelligence pilot.
Karen Gilbert, the district’s career and technical education director, described the state’s new pathways framework and a tiered credentialing system the state oversight committee approved in 2025. The system creates tiers of credentials — foundational, intermediate and advanced — that can be combined so students develop marketable skills and industry-recognized certifications before graduation. Gilbert said stackable credentials have already begun in clusters such as health sciences, where students can accumulate points through OSHA, CPR and national health science certifications and can progress toward patient-care technician credentials.
Gilbert and Dr. Lakisha Brantley, the district’s CTE coordinator, highlighted partnerships with Beaufort Memorial Hospital and Novant, pilot programs at Bluffton High for AI-aligned curriculum, and strong graduation numbers for CTE completers (staff said more than 95% complete with their cohort in recent reporting). Board members asked for additional data on outcomes — for example, average GPAs for program completers and how many completers enter industry roles versus continuing education — and staff agreed to produce a breakdown of completion and post-program placement data.
Board members praised the work and asked staff to return with detailed metrics on student outcomes and a clear plan for communicating how credentials translate to local job demand.
