The UFT kicked off its celebration of Career and Technical Education Month with a bang when almost 450 teachers and their friends, family members, colleagues and students turned out for the largest-ever Celebrating Career and Technical Education Awards Recognition Ceremony at the union’s lower Manhattan headquarters on Feb. 5.

“Everyone is talking about CTE,” UFT Vice President for CTE High Schools Sterling Roberson said as he welcomed the assembled educators and their guests, as well as representatives from the Department of Education and the union’s industry partners. “They’re talking about it at the local level, the state level and the federal level — and that is because of the work everyone in this room has done.”

Roberson also discussed a new initiative, National Industry Certification for Educators, which will allow CTE teachers to pursue national certification in their respective industries and will pair up schools with industry partners to improve students’ access to knowledge, skills and industry credentials.

Just back from Albany, UFT President Michael Mulgrew remarked that elected officials constantly discuss job creation but never connect it to CTE, which he said teaches skills, creates jobs and helps the economy.

It’s time to take a “bold step” forward in our state’s support for CTE and its expansion, he said.

Mulgrew also spoke highly of the evening’s honorees.

“Congratulations to you for everything you have done,” he said. “You make us proud.”

Ed Hawkins, who teaches engineering at the HS for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture, in Ozone Park, Queens, was the evening’s big winner, walking away with three awards. Hawkins took home a Stanley Schair CTE Teacher Award for Excellence and Innovation from the CTE Advisory Council, a Teacher of the Year Award from the Municipal Credit Union and an Outstanding CTE Teacher Award from the UFT.

“I thought I’d teach for a year or two but I fell in love with it,” said Hawkins, who gave up a successful career in engineering to become a teacher.

Hawkins knew from an early age that he wanted to be an engineer, but also always had a strong desire to teach, he said.

“Everyone thought I was crazy,” he said of his decision, but added that — 11 years later — he’s still happy to have made it. “I’m really lucky to have had long and substantial careers in both,” he said.

Graphic arts teacher Leo Gordon, from Staten Island’s Ralph R. McKee HS, also took home top awards. Gordon was honored for his “dedication to teaching 21st century digital communication skills” to his students by software company Adobe, and also won a LearnKey Award from educational technology company LearnKey.

“We’re actually teaching communications and life skills,” the 14-year veteran educator said of his graphic design and desktop publishing work with students. “It involves conceptualizing, visualizing and thinking outside of the box to communicate someone else’s ideas, not only your own.”

Robert Martinez, who graduated from and has taught electronics at Brooklyn’s Transit Tech Career and Technical Education HS for 26 years, was honored for his “outstanding leadership” and his work in support of the 2014 Big Apple Classic Leadership Summit, which offers middle and high school students the chance to hear from motivational speakers about overcoming adversity and to meet entrepreneurs, business leaders and college admissions officers.

For Martinez, it’s all about giving back to his students, school and community.

“I’m part of the inner city. I grew up in the neighborhood and graduated from the school so I have a direct connection with these students,” he said. “I feel honored to receive this award, but it’s not about me; it’s about my students and their enjoyment and progress in the educational process.”