Partnering with Business and Industry

A number of provisions of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 directs states to connect their career education programs and uses of funds with labor market needs. It also provides a welcomed stimulus for the education system to create stronger partnerships with industry, economic and workforce development, and local employer leaders.

To better prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow, the Division of Career Education conducted an online survey among a broad spectrum of Missouri business and industry representatives, then met with Industry Advisory Councils organized around the 16 career clusters.  The statewide survey was conducted from November 20, 2006 through January 8, 2007. In this way, Missouri Career Education asked employers and industry across the state to:

• Rank in importance the foundation knowledge and skills for their career cluster, as well as identify any gaps or emerging areas.

• Rank in importance the knowledge and skills needed for the various career pathways in which they employ, supervise, or work;

• Identify any gaps or emerging areas that are essential to the pathway and need to be addressed by career education;

• Indicate whether they work in business/industry, for a state or federal agency, in education, an association, or other;

• Provide any additional comments or information they may like to share to help improve the quality of workers they receive; and

• Possibly volunteer to participate in future surveys and/or to serve on a statewide or local industry advisory council.

Links to the statewide survey feedback reports for each of the 16 career clusters: