Money to go towards career technical education

From Staff Reports

The California Department of Education recently awarded a Career Technical Education Incentive Grant to the Desert Mountain Consortium, which includes eight local school districts.

The California CTEIG was established as a state education, economic and workforce development initiative with the goal of providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to transition to employment and postsecondary education. The grant exists to encourage the development of new career technical education programs and maintain existing career technical education programs.

The grant was co-authored by each school district in the consortium, as a collaborative effort to expand career technical education programs in the region. The Desert Mountain Consortium is made up of Apple Valley, Hesperia, Victor Valley Union High, Lucerne Valley, Snow Line, Barstow, Silver Valley and Trona school districts.

The Desert Mountain Consortium is expected to receive $2.6 million for the first year, which will last through the end of the 2016-2017 school year. The consortium will reapply to receive the grant in year two and year three, in which the allocated yearly amount will decrease to 75% and 50% of the original amount.

The consortium offers career technical education in the following industry sectors: agriculture/natural resources; arts, media and entertainment; building trades and construction; education, child development and family; energy and utilities; engineering and design; fashion and interior design; finance and business; health science and medical technology; hospitality, tourism and recreation; information technology; manufacturing/product development; marketing, sales and service; public services; and transportation.