The UFT and the Albert Shanker Institute hosted career and technical education experts from around the country at a two-day conference at UFT headquarters on Oct. 10-11.

The conference, titled “Fulfilling The Promise Of a Quality Education for All: 21st Century Career & Technical Education," examined every aspect of CTE: providing opportunities for students in technical careers as one of multiple pathways to graduation; overcoming the old stigma of vocational education; building industry and higher-education partnerships; creating internship opportunities; linking with college programs; and incorporating Common Core and college-ready standards into CTE.

“This conference brings some of the best practices from around the country together around a common cause: to promote high-quality career and technical education,” said Sterling Roberson, the UFT vice president for career and technical education.

On Friday morning, participants visited six Career and Technical schools around New York, including Aviation HS in Queens, where students develop skills in aerospace engineering and aviation maintenance. The other schools visited were Thomas Edison HS in Queens; Food and Finance HS and Urban Assembly New York Harbor School in Manhattan; and Pathways in Technology and Transit Tech CTE HS in Brooklyn.