The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Heather Mace
It’s a bright, wintry morning in the desert southwest of Tucson, and I’m passing the time studying brightly colored Cessna aircraft on the horizon. I’m perched in a booth at Richie’s Café, the cozy, wood-beamed restaurant at Ryan Airfield, sipping coffee and waiting for my son to emerge from his FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate exam. At 15 years old, he’s still too young for a driver’s license, but passing this test will mean he’s licensed to operate drones commercially. More importantly, though, it will mark the first step on his journey to becoming a pilot.
Up until this year, supporting his piloting dreams felt confusing and intangible, even risky. I worried that, like fellow high schoolers around the country, after graduation, he would invest tens of thousands of dollars into training just to find out whether his aeronautical interest translated into genuine career ambition. That’s an expensive gamble for anyone to take, let alone a teenager. However, thanks to a state-of-the-art program located right in our community, he and thousands of his peers get to explore vocational paths during high school– for free.
This opportunity exists because of Pima County’s Joint Technology Education District, or JTED. At a time when educational issues are increasingly partisan, JTED seems to have cracked the code for uniting students and business leaders across the political spectrum. Established in 2007 through voter approval, JTED serves as a public Career and Technical Education (CTE) District. They connect over 24,000 southern Arizona students with training in vocational fields, allowing them to earn not only high school or college credit, but state licenses and industry certifications in their chosen field.
Some classes are embedded into students’ school days, often with JTED teachers working directly in public high schools. Other students enroll at Innovation Tech, a Tucson Unified School District high school specializing in CTE instruction. Many other classes, like my son’s air transportation program, are held after school. Those of us who took home economics or shop class in high school might find the range of courses available to students dizzying. They can train for healthcare jobs like a certified nursing assistant, home health aide, or veterinary assistant. Students can pursue technological fields like cybersecurity, robotics and manufacturing, or 3D animation. Those who like working with their hands can train in culinary arts, fire services, or HVAC skills. The variety of programs offered is as diverse as the range of industries in our community.
Perhaps that’s why CTE programs have so much support: according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, careers in healthcare, computer science, and construction and installation trades dominate the list of projected fastest-growing occupations from 2024- 34. As the need for skilled labor increases, however, the cost of post-secondary education is overwhelming for many Americans. From 1980- 2020, adjusting for inflation, the cost to attend a four-year college increased by 180%. At the same time, housing, energy, and food costs are at record highs. For many teenagers, trying out a career through post-secondary training is akin to gambling with money they simply can’t afford to lose. However, through a small property tax (approx. $10 per year for a home valued at $200,000) and dedicated State funding, students across Pima County can receive cost-saving training and certification during high school.
Fortunately, JTED is just one of many vocational ed champions in our community. This month, to celebrate its dozens of CTE opportunities, Tucson Unified School District followed national precedent by recognizing February as “CTE month.” And just last year, the Arizona Legislature considered a bill making CTE classes more available to middle schoolers. Throughout the halls of Pima County schools, students are learning skills and developing competencies that contribute not only to employability but to a well-rounded life.
Alas, my coffee cup has run dry, and I see my son crossing the airstrip. He has a smile on his face and a piece of paper clasped triumphantly in his hand. While this is just the first small victory on a long career path, with the foundational knowledge gained from CTE classes, it surely won’t be the last.
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