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Texas Government Insider
August 3, 2007
Have you heard of ‘gold collar’ jobs?
Most folks have probably heard of white, blue or even pink collar jobs - but the term “gold collar” may be
a little unfamiliar. It refers to the high-wage work done by technical workers - welders, auto and aviation
mechanics, electricians and others performing more “manual” jobs. Workers with these types of skills make up
65 percent of the American workforce.
According to Jim Brazell, a consultant to Texas State Technical College and IC2 Institute at The University of
Texas at Austin, there is a vast job market awaiting those possessing gold collar skills.
The Texas Workforce Commission reports that five of Texas’ eight top-paying jobs one year after graduation are
held by those with associate’s - not bachelor’s - degrees. They pay an average of $34,000 to $44,000 per year.
“Technical jobs are growing at five times the rate of other occupations,” Brazell says. “The demand for
technical workers is even greater than the need for engineers.”
Brazell emphasizes the importance of educational institutions creating classes to meet this massive and
continually growing market. Instead of the somewhat stigmatized term “vocational education,” schools are now
calling such courses “career and technical education.”
“When people think of vocational education, they are often thinking of unskilled workers, but this isn’t true,”
Brazell says. “These jobs pay very well and involve education beyond high school.”
Career and technical education classes are “rigorous” and emphasize the merging of different technologies
together because workers in such trades tend to no longer specialize; instead, they are what Brazell calls
“multi-craft technicians” - integrating mechanics, electronics and computers into their work.
As industry demands for these technical workers increase, public and higher education are facing a change in
some of their own focus to ensure that the workers of the future can meet the needs of this relatively new but
massive market.
Copyright © 2007 Strategic Partnerships, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.spartnerships.com
Reprinted with permission. |
Congratulations to Peninsula High School’s fledging FIRST Robotics Team. The Panzers competed March 20 – 22, 2008, in the LA Regional against 52 other teams at the LA Sports Arena. After winning 7 out of 9 exciting qualifying bouts, the Panzers were ranked 6th out of 52 teams and made it to the quarter finals. For their outstanding effort, the Peninsula team received the Highest Rookie Seed Award.
We applaud the 2008 Peninsula FIRST Robotics Team: Paul Ashla, Team Captain / Project Manager; Design/Building Team* members: Hanging Chen, Chris Choi, Carrine Johnson, Amaan Kerawawla, Jung Soo Kim, Dow Kou, William Liew, Bryan Tuttle (Safety Captain), William Wong; Drive Team: Bridgette Wallman (Captain), Rodney Kordani*, Justin Eng*, Michael Murata* and Andrew Nishimura*.
Peninsula sincerely thanks Coach: Susan Nakaba, Mentors: Karen Hess, (ECC), Leroy Nelson, Paul Dilley, (Raytheon), and our sponsors, the Peninsula Education Foundation, El Camino College, and PVPUSD.
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is a unique varsity sport of the mind which challenges teams of students and their mentors to solve a common problem in a six-week timeframe using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. Teams build robots from the parts and enter them in competitions designed by Dean Kamen, Dr. Woodie Flowers, and a committee of engineers and other professionals.
FIRST redefines winning for these students because they are rewarded for excellence in design, demonstrated team spirit, gracious professionalism and maturity, and the ability to overcome obstacles. Scoring the most points is a secondary goal. Winning through alliances means building partnerships that last. The game rules are a surprise every year.
Palos Verdes Peninsula Panzers are sponsored by: Palos Verdes Peninsula Education Foundation and El Camino College.
Peninsula’s Panzer Team is part of the SMERT Program at PVPHS. Focusing on the relationships between science, math, engineering, robotics and technology, SMERT Programs include:
4 Levels of competitive research, in its 11th year and “expanding”
Credit for Science Olympiad/Science Bowl Teams
“Foundations of Scientific Thought” - new semester-long UC elective class for all students, in all subject areas
Program run by the CA State Science Teacher of the Year
Intro to Engineering, Digital Electronics, Civil Engineering/Architecture and Aerospace Engineering, Robotics 70, Robotics 75, and MTT 47 “Making the Robot”
All PVPHS engineering and robotics courses receive high school & college credit through Harbor College or El Camino College
Any student can take any course, without pre-requisites, in any order
Solar Cup Team Competiton May 16 - 18, 2008
Environmental Science AP, Computer Science AP, Digital Animation, Physics AP, Calculus AP, Web Design
Engineering and Computer Science Club, Physics, Engineering and Technology Club |
Engineering and