SkillsUSA, a nonprofit working to strengthen the nation's skilled workforce, formed the career and technical education (CTE) Coalition with Lincoln Electric, Tooling U-SME, NC3, and camInstructor. The coalition was formed to support continued learning for CTE students during the coronavirus global health crisis.
The CTE Coalition created the Keep CTE Moving website, a portal where instructors and students can access online classes, videos, and instructional materials in areas including machining and construction. The online materials are available at no charge to students for the next month to help CTE faculty and students continue their teaching and learning in the virtual environment as quickly as possible.
"A lot of CTE courses in areas like welding, automotive, manufacturing and construction are very hands-on," Jason Scales, business manager of education at Lincoln Electric, said in a news release. "Many instructors simply don't have online training content. This non-competitive group of industry-leading companies each maintain a robust set of e-learning modules and other resources. Together, we agreed to share our resources in an unprecedented manner. With this opportunity, tens of thousands of CTE students can keep learning, even while they may not be allowed to gather in a physical classroom or lab."
The CTE Coalition is also providing recorded sessions with instructors highlighting best practices in how to effectively utilize e-learning and online resources to educate students and quickly transition to a virtual learning environment. The coalition will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates at their website as new developments occur.
