UTICA — The Utica City School District is hosting a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Blue Ribbon Task Force Kickoff from 8-11 a.m. Thursday, June 1 at Delta Hotels, 200 Genesee St.

The Blue Ribbon Task Force was created to assist in developing CTE pathways in the district, ensuring multiple opportunities for students to exceed graduation standards. The district is currently moving forward with plans to create a comprehensive regional CTE high school to develop a pipeline of workforce talent to meet the needs of the local economy.

The task force includes representatives from all district stakeholder groups, including the New York State Education Department (NYSED); regional and local business and industry leaders; higher education partners; legislative representatives; the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES; BOCES component school districts; district students, families and staff; and community members.

At the kickoff, task force members will receive information about the overall mission and vision of the district’s regional CTE high school and hear from NYSED, business and industry leaders, and higher education partners on how it will impact the local economy.

The district will follow a systematic approach to CTE that creates vertical alignment, starting with career awareness and exploration for grades K-8 beginning this fall. The following year, Donovan and JFK Middle Schools will implement CTE modules that represent 16 national career clusters as a way to introduce students to the CTE pathways that will be available to them in high school.

Early exposure to career readiness initiatives include options to earn college credit and prepare students with skills that support workforce development in the Mohawk Valley. As a result of the work being done district-wide to create career readiness opportunities, the district anticipates an increase in student engagement and performance for all students.