Rebuilding the Jobs Pipeline

After seeing the Guggenheim documentary, Waiting for Superman, a critique of the huge quality shortfall across American public education, I went to visit Austin Polytechnical Academy on Chicago’s West side. Like charter schools this movie spotlights, Austin Polytech is an excellent example of a new quality education model cast from a different mold. The Chicago Renaissance Manufacturing Council (CMRC) initiated this local public-private partnership effort between 200 local businesses and the Chicago Public Schools in 2005.

There are more than 1.7 million manufacturing jobs in the Chicago metropolitan area. Chicagoland has one of the largest concentrations of small advanced technical manufacturing companies in the United States. However, between 2010 and 2020 the majority of these high-paying jobs ($65,000 average) may disappear if well trained and educated replacements cannot be found for the large number of baby-boomers in this industry who are soon to retire. This is currently a major concern of advanced manufacturing firms in the Chicago area.

The CMRC was established to help rebuild the local education-to-employment system by preparing more high school students with technical aptitudes for a range of science, technology, engineering or math-related (STEM) careers in advanced manufacturing. Austin Polytech is a college-prep, liberal arts, career academy. By offering a liberal arts education plus a core of engineering skills, it recognizes that all students, no matter what their final career destination will be, will need some form of post-secondary education to obtain the knowledge they must have for better paying, high-skill jobs.

A manufacturing technology center within Austin Polytech helps to integrate classroom academics with hands-on career skills. Many local businesses are contributing equipment as well as providing job shadowing or summer jobs that equip students with real-world experience.

However, they recognize that these students upon high school graduation will need two-or four-year degrees, one or two year occupational certificates or apprenticeships to complete their entry to the world of advanced manufacturing. Dan Swinney, executive director of the CMRC that jointly administers Austin Polytech, has stated, “Our ultimate goal is to teach the problem-solving, communication, and real-world job skills that will enhance our graduates’ career opportunities in any field they choose.”

Austin Polytech has recently received prominent media attention. “Chicago Tonight” on WTTW broadcast a segment on this school. (It can be viewed on their Web site by selecting the Austin Polytech segment on October 14). On October 15 the Chicago section of the New York Times featured a companion story, “Students Aim for Success with a New View of Vocational School” by Meribah Knight. This reporter will follow three students at Austin over the 2010-2011 school-year in a series of articles.

Research has shown that many students drop out of high school because they are bored and find their studies irrelevant. Today’s students have a wide range of interests and aptitudes. The Chicago area and the nation needs many more high schools that have a specific career focus, such as Austin Polytech, to keep students on track for in-demand, 21st-century careers.

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Rebuilding the Jobs Pipeline

After seeing the Guggenheim documentary, Waiting for Superman, a critique of the huge quality shortfall across American public education, I went to visit Austin Polytechnical Academy on Chicago’s West side. Like charter schools this movie spotlights, Austin Polytech is an excellent example of a new quality education model cast from a different mold. The Chicago Renaissance Manufacturing Council (CMRC) initiated this local public-private partnership effort between 200 local businesses and the Chicago Public Schools in 2005.

There are more than 1.7 million manufacturing jobs in the Chicago metropolitan area. Chicagoland has one of the largest concentrations of small advanced technical manufacturing companies in the United States. However, between 2010 and 2020 the majority of these high-paying jobs ($65,000 average) may disappear if well trained and educated replacements cannot be found for the large number of baby-boomers in this industry who are soon to retire. This is currently a major concern of advanced manufacturing firms in the Chicago area.

The CMRC was established to help rebuild the local education-to-employment system by preparing more high school students with technical aptitudes for a range of science, technology, engineering or math-related (STEM) careers in advanced manufacturing. Austin Polytech is a college-prep, liberal arts, career academy. By offering a liberal arts education plus a core of engineering skills, it recognizes that all students, no matter what their final career destination will be, will need some form of post-secondary education to obtain the knowledge they must have for better paying, high-skill jobs.

A manufacturing technology center within Austin Polytech helps to integrate classroom academics with hands-on career skills. Many local businesses are contributing equipment as well as providing job shadowing or summer jobs that equip students with real-world experience.

However, they recognize that these students upon high school graduation will need two-or four-year degrees, one or two year occupational certificates or apprenticeships to complete their entry to the world of advanced manufacturing. Dan Swinney, executive director of the CMRC that jointly administers Austin Polytech, has stated, “Our ultimate goal is to teach the problem-solving, communication, and real-world job skills that will enhance our graduates’ career opportunities in any field they choose.”

Austin Polytech has recently received prominent media attention. “Chicago Tonight” on WTTW broadcast a segment on this school. (It can be viewed on their Web site by selecting the Austin Polytech segment on October 14). On October 15 the Chicago section of the New York Times featured a companion story, “Students Aim for Success with a New View of Vocational School” by Meribah Knight. This reporter will follow three students at Austin over the 2010-2011 school-year in a series of articles.

Research has shown that many students drop out of high school because they are bored and find their studies irrelevant. Today’s students have a wide range of interests and aptitudes. The Chicago area and the nation needs many more high schools that have a specific career focus, such as Austin Polytech, to keep students on track for in-demand, 21st-century careers.

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