Labor market dynamics and trends

Labor Market Information (LMI) certainly represents useful and important statistical information when it comes to the way in which tertiary institutions serve the community, the country, and the economy. Without this information, it would be very difficult to determine the economic directions of growth and where more labor power is required. Indeed, any students who struggle to make choices about their careers can use this information to guide both their initial decision in terms of entering a career and the path they would wish to follow in this career.

Having said this, however, I do not believe that any statistical information can or should be the exclusive guideline for determining the CTE courses that should be created, continued, or terminated. There are at least two factors that should also play an important part in these decisions, which include particularly important job titles and the popularity and support a direction enjoys among students and the community.

Some job titles are particularly important, and talented people should be recruited to perpetuate the field, even though no particular growth is shown for the direction in the region. Certain specialist fields, for example, contribute greatly to the well-being and future of humanity. A person who is particularly talented in the field of literature, for example, should not be deterred from advanced study in this field because there is much less growth in this direction than in some technological fields.

As for community support and perception of importance, any tertiary institution should maintain a sufficient level of open communication with the community and student body to be aware which directions hold particular importance for them. This should then be used as a guide regarding the courses and directions to be included as part of the institution's educational offering, even when little growth is shown in the field. The community feeds and finances a large part of the institution, which is why the common goal should not just be adhering to statistics.

Response 1:

The idea of new, emerging, established and crashing markets is a very important one when it comes to CTE courses. I completely agree that the LMI cannot always be up-to-date about particular markets that are emerging, especially when it comes to new directions. It is therefore important, as mentioned above, to maintain a sense of community input and connection in order for the CTE to remain up-to-date with what is necessary in terms of offering a labor force input that is both talented and focused on any new requirements. Having said that, I do believe the LMI remains a good guideline, but that it should not be used to the exclusion of all other information.

Response 2:

I like this post, since it furthers my own argument that LMI by itself does not provide sufficient grounds for CTE courses. Indeed, as you say, all stakeholders should provide input, especially when it comes to a student who is somewhat uncertain about what direction to choose for his or her future career. LMI does provide important information in terms of the most likely directions that would be able to supply work for the prospective employee, which could facilitate the choice mentioned above. On the other hand, a student who is particularly talented in a field that is not necessarily LMI mandated or that does not show particular demand in terms of employment, should not be turned away on these grounds. Factors such as the community should be taken into account in such cases.

Response 3:

*** "Student 1" and "Student 3" in the source document provide the same posts.

Response 4:

I agree that community relevance is a highly important factor when it comes to student enrollment. Despite the fact that the LMI may indicate low growth in some areas, there is no denying that each community has its own specific personality and need set. Some communities may have specific social or arts needs that the LMI does not account for, since the statistic focuses only on areas of economic or numerical growth. CTE courses should be offered in such a way that also acknowledges a communities specific needs in terms of non-statistic and non-economic data. Some communities may, for example, have a thriving arts and theater initiative, for which directors, writers, and artists would be a great asset, whereas these directions may not show much growth or income in that specific community. This also extends to a community's business fields, where a person who feels driven to start a social service clinic does not feel this way as a result of the labor market or salary, but rather as a result of community need.