By Flores B. Grandison
Aiphina Kamara wonders what might have happened if she’d been introduced to science and engineering careers at her Michigan high school, where she was enrolled in an “audio engineering” course. But she said she was told that the audio engineering course was created for “regular students.”
“She thought she was in a program more challenging than engineering,” said Aiphina, now a librarian at Wesleyan University studying English and sociology. “That was a hard pill to swallow.”
Historically, career and technical education (CTE) was seen as a dumping ground for students who weren’t considered college material. It has led to a two-tier education system that reinforces racial stratifications and students of color into career and technical classes, first known as vocational education. But in recent years, officials have revamped these courses to prepare students for better-paying trades and other pathways to enter fields including technology, health care and business management.
A McKinsey Report/Associated Press analysis of CTE enrollment data from 40 states reveals deep racial disparities in who takes these career-oriented courses. Black and Latino students were often less likely than their white peers to enroll in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM and information technology classes, which were among the fastest-growing sectors in the economy in 2018. They were more likely to enroll in courses in hospitality and, in the case of Black students, in public and community service.
“It’s hard to see yourself doing something where you do not see anybody who looks like you.” — Gaz Caliza, a senior at Detroit’s Latin Technical High School
In some states, the differences in CTE participation are striking. In South Carolina, for instance, Black and Latino students are less likely to be enrolled in higher-paying IT and STEM programs. Black and Latino students accounted for less than a third of students enrolled in information technology. Meanwhile, Black and Latino students accounted for nearly 60 percent of students specializing in “family and consumer sciences” which includes classes such as “parenting education” and “family life education” that have no clear link to the job market.
“It’s hard to see yourself doing something where you do not see anybody who looks like you,” said Caliza, a senior at Detroit’s Latin Technical High School.
[UNCLEAR — middle body section: several paragraphs with additional state-by-state CTE data and student/educator quotes. Text too small to transcribe fully from screenshot. Requires source verification.]
Caldera said she didn’t remember requesting the audio engineering class. At the same time, she was never encouraged by counselors or teachers to explore options like the engineering course, which might have opened up new possibilities for her. “I feel like that has affected my want to pursue more rigorous subjects in school to this day,” she said.
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