Arizona schools chief Tom Horne announces commission for workforce development

The Arizona Education Economic Commission is a partnership between the state’s career and technical education programs and employers.

On Thursday, the Arizona Department of Education announced the launch of the Arizona Education Economic Commission, a collaboration among the state’s career and technical education programs, employers and representatives of the governments of Switzerland, Taiwan and the Navajo Nation.The commission is intended to address a skilled workforce shortage and benefit students in the state’s career and technical education programs.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Lucid Motors and Banner Health are all engaged in the partnership, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said Thursday at a news conference.The companies will either show career and technical education teachers what skills to teach or provide career and technical education programs with individuals to teach, Horne said.According to Colette Chapman, who oversees the state’s adult education and career and technical education programs, there are 90 programs of study in Arizona’s career and technical education programs, and the programs include work-based learning opportunities and youth apprenticeships. There are 21 state-sponsored adult education programs across 100 sites, she said.On Thursday, Jacques Pitteloud, the Swiss Ambassador to the United States, said that Switzerland is “honored to serve as a founding member” of the commission.Balz Abplanalp, from the Consulate General of Switzerland in San Francisco, said that Switzerland has a century-long tradition of “upskilling young people at their workplace, trained by experienced professionals at the same place.”According to Abplanalp, 70% of people in Switzerland choose an apprenticeship in their mid-teens after their compulsory school. There are apprenticeships across 250 professions, he said.Apprentices typically spend 3 to 4 days at their workplace and one or two days in school, and the apprenticeships last three to four years, Abplanalp said. He said that research has shown that if you complete an apprenticeship, your risk of unemployment is smaller than after college.As part of the Arizona Education Economic Commission, Abplanalp said, Switzerland …

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