FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM DECEMBER 6, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11
Nearly a dozen career and tech programs added to Queens H.S.
BY NAEISHA ROSE
nrose@cnglocal.com
@QNS
Th e city’s Department of Education
(DOE) surpassed its goal to introduce
40 new Career and Technical Education
(CTE) programs between 2016 and 2018
with a multi-year $113 million investment
across all fi ve boroughs, 11 of which were
implemented in 10 schools in Queens.
Th e 47 new programs up the tally of
CTE classes to 301 and the technical classes
now reach approximately 64,000 students
in 135 schools citywide, according
to the Nov. 29 announcement from
the DOE.
CTE academic courses are rigorous and
are meant to align with certain fi elds so
that students can seamlessly transition
into two-year or four-year technical college
programs or careers, according to
the DOE.
“Career and technical education has
a long and successful career in New
York City. Expanding into new areas
and providing support for existing programs
is critically important,” said
Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan,
who chairs of the Assembly’s Education
Committee. “In my tenure as chair of the
NYS Assembly Education Committee,
I have held hearings on CTE education,
sponsored legislative and budget initiatives
directed at CTE and done everything
I can to support these eff orts.”
Th e programs include the following:
• Queens Technical High School in Long
Island City has a Cisco Networking
Academy;
• Th e Young Women’s Leadership School
in Astoria has a Soft ware Engineering/
Web Design program;
• Th e High School for Arts and Business
in Corona has a Web & Digital Media
Communications program;
• Th omas Edison Career and Technical
Education High School has a
Automotive Diesel Technology program;
• August Martin High School in South
Jamaica has a Culinary Arts program;
• Hillcrest High School has its Soft ware
Engineering course;
• Long Island City High School has a
Certifi ed Personal Trainer course;
• Richmond Hill High School has
Computer Science (Web Design
and Digital Communication) and
Hospitality and Tourism courses;
• Rockaway Park High School for
Environmental Sustainability has a
Carpentry/Construction course; and
• Rockaway Collegiate High School in
Rockaway Park has a Web Design and
Digital Communications course.
“Th e expansion of the CTE program
will provide our students with meaningful
educational experiences giving them
alternative paths to success by preparing
them for college or the workforce,”
said Councilwoman Adrienne Adams.
“Th is program expansion …will certainly
strengthen the college readiness of our
students and build access to careers that
will widen their opportunities.”
Th e programs focus on 16 growing
markets in New York City’s economy like
hospitality and tourism; architecture and
construction; arts, AV technology and
communication; information technology,
law and public safety; scientifi c research
and engineering; health science; transportation,
distribution and logistics; and
manufacturing production, according to
the DOE.
“Career and Technical Education
Programs provide an opportunity for our
students to have successful futures,” said
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheff er Amato.
“Investing in our students throughout the
state has always been a top priority, however,
I am thrilled that two schools within
my district here in Rockaway will be
receiving these resources.”
Th e investment doesn’t only support
the creation of more CTE courses, but
provides industry partnerships, class
materials, teacher training and support,
and funds for 3,000 internships annually
for students, according to the DOE.
“We set out to create more programs
to train our students and prepare them
for the jobs of tomorrow, and I am proud
to report that we’ve exceeded our goal to
bring more real-world experiences directly
into our classrooms,” said Mayor Bill
de Blasio.
Photo via Shutterstock
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