SW REGION CTE BUSINESS-EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP
APRIL 2, 2004 MEETING MINUTES

The first meeting of the Southwest Region Career Technical Education Business- Education Partnership was held April 2, 2004 at Johnson and Wales University, Charlotte. John Metcalf, Senior Partner, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, presided at the meeting. In attendance were:

John Metcalf, John Lattimore, Linda Jones, Grover Stewart, David Hollers, Tim Eldridge, Linda Parker, Eric Leazer, Bob Wright, Emily Behm, Harold Winkler, Gary Nelson, Brian Stanley, Curt Lorimer and Greg Gift.

• Greg Gift opened the meeting reviewing the agenda objectives.
• Brian Stanley welcomed the group to Johnson and Wales providing a short overview of J&W.
• Greg Gift reviewed the ‘drafted’ regional partnership mission and goals as created by a regional planning group for the partnership. He shared a videotape featuring Joe Freddoso, (CISCO Corporation) President of the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) advocating the regional partnership efforts for CTE.
• The group reacted to the Joe Fredosso tape. References were made to Pillowtex closing as a wake up call for this region, its impact on the workforce and the skill sets needed for the future job market. Other comments centered on high school students need to function beyond the 10th grade level, the high remediation rates at the community college and university levels, reading and basic skill development and statistics shared supporting CTE as the main reason many students have remained in school to graduate.
• John Metcalf led a group discussion on how this partnership can advocate and benefit CTE at the local level by serving as a single voice for CTE in the region through collaboration with other existing regional groups promoting regional planning and dialogue in support of CTE. Questions were asked of the partnership members determining their support of the partnership mission, goals and functions as drafted. The general consensus of the group provided positive support of these efforts.
• John led a discussion asking if the group was clear on the work of the partnership and asked how will we know if the time we spend as a partnership is “well spent”? The group defined its customers and stakeholders as other educators, parents, students, business and industry, and legislators. Parents were seen as key to student involvement in CTE. The partnership defined “time well spent” by becoming educated and informed about CTE, having the ability to showcase best practices, developing models and thinking strategically not tactically about CTE in the region.
• The group suggested adding more business and industry representatives and a parent representative to the partnership.
• The group discussed ‘work to be done’ in regard to advocating and creating influence for CTE in the region.
• The partnership was divided into three groups with each group focusing on one of the three partnership goals. Each group reported its efforts:
  

  1. Goal 1: Advocate CTE as technical skill development - “Marketing CTE”: Strategies- gathering data on jobs and skill sets, create a ‘toolbox’ to market CTE.

  
  

  2. Goal 2: Establish a permanent liaison between business and education in the Southwest Region - “Establish a Regional Council”: Strategy- create a regional umbrella organization with a shared vision that would provide focus and direction for the region leading to improved communication and the need to develop a marketing plan.

  
  

  3. Goal 3: Support raising the standard expectation of education in NC to K-14: Strategies- involve more business & industry, market to students, parents, teachers, etc., expand work-based learning and sharing best practices.

  
  
• The group wanted to know more about Career Technical Education. Although they were CTE advocates, many felt they needed a clear overview of the entire discipline. The next meeting will focus on defining CTE.
• Next meeting: 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Tuesday, May 11, 2004, J. M. Robinson High School, Cabarrus County.
• The meeting adjourned at 12:45 PM.