Senator Weeks offered an amendment to S.304 on the Senate Floor Friday on behalf of the Committee on Education. The amendment was a strike-all which would provide students in grade six through eight with career enrichment and exposure to their regional Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center. The bill also provides students enrolled in grades nine and ten a genuine opportunity to participate fully in pre-tch and exploratory career and technical courses.

The amendment also requires the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Labor, to develop a model Comprehensive Career Development Policy for all secondary students. The model policy shall ensure each student has the opportunity for a robust discussion and planning regarding the student’s career awareness.

Each school district board shall develop and implement a policy and plan for comprehensive career development which is at least as comprehensive as the Secretary’s model policy as noted above. 

The amendment also transfers all rulemaking authority from the State Board of Education to the Agency of Education.

In order to promote a seamless pathway from CTE to post-secondary opportunities, the Vermont State Colleges will be required to maintain program and course articulation agreements (which allows CTE students to earn college credit) in the following programs:

• Manufacturing
• Engineering
• Health Science
• Education
• Carpentry, construction, and building trades