Career-Focused Schools, Internship Programs Train Future Small Business Leaders
New York City is working to develop a more educated workforce, the Wall Street Journal reports, through growth in specialized high schools known as Career and Technical Education centers. There are now 51 public high schools dedicated to CTE, 13 of which have developed in just the last two years. The schools attempt to combine training in specific fields like graphic design or television production with more traditional academic courses to prepare students for a choice of either marketable workforce skills or further college training after graduation. Currently 26,000 students in the city attend CTE high schools, with a total of 117,000 students in the city participating in CTE courses at school. The focus on these programs comes as employers demand additional skills beyond the high school diploma for today’s increasingly competitive global market.
Another example of a program helping to boost New York City students’ workforce capabilities comes from Pencil, a nonprofit that 20 years ago began a “Principal for a Day” program sending company executives into public schools in the city to connect with students. Crain’s New York Business reports that Pencil on June 30 will launch “Boss for a Day”, which will allow high schoolers from public schools to work with company executives around the city for a day. Currently, participating organizations include an array of media, advertising, real estate, insurance, and health companies, as well as higher-education institutions including New York University. The program is set to allow 200 students to visit city businesses in its first edition.
What This Means For Small Businesses
An educated workforce is key to the success of small businesses. New York City’s public and private investments in educating future small business owners and operators is an encouraging sign that the business community is respected, and its importance in the community understood. However, there is no single development that can create the ideal small business climate, and New York City has a long way to go before it adopts a generally business-friendly mindset.
Additional Reading
The NFIB’s Young Entrepreneur Foundation provides tools to help future small business leaders today.
