Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, right, visits with students at the High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture in Ozone Park. Photo courtesy NYS Assembly
Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) is pushing a bill that would overhaul the state Board of Regents’ and state Department of Education’s current diploma standard, saying it would create a specialized vocational diploma pathway that could lower the dropout rate by offering an alternative graduation pathway to students.
The bill, which Goldfeder is co-sponsoring, would create a new specialized Career and Technical Diploma, which would train pupils to fill the main available jobs in New York, including those in the welding, plumbing and computer network specialist fields, among others.
“Not every student is created equal, and we should not have a one-size-fits-all education system,” Goldfeder said. “The wanted ads for welders, master plumbers, electricians, manufacturers, and other specialized professions is endless, yet students often drop out of school before they can even pursue any of these occupations as careers.”
The bill, which has the support of more than 65 Assembly members, will “put high school students back on the right track and provide a pathway for those who want to enter these highly specialized fields, while acquiring the knowledge, skill, and work experience they need to become the next generation of leaders in these growing industries,” Goldfeder said.
Manufacturing and technical professions require a unique skill set, and employers today are having a notoriously hard time finding qualified applications. This diploma would allow students to continue apprenticeships they started in high school – or allow them to go on to college for additional opportunities, the South Queens lawmaker stressed.
John Murphy, the business manager of UA Plumbers Local 1, has thrown his weight behind the bill.
“By training students at an early age with the skills necessary to succeed, we are creating the foundation to generate valuable union jobs,” Murphy said. “This legislation would put the wheels in motion to develop a CTE diploma in New York state that will drastically help increase graduation rates and drive our economy forward.”
Such a change in the way schools work could make a huge difference in the types of jobs – and salaries – students land, creating far more financially stable communities, Goldfeder said.
“We need more students to hold a diploma that will actually lead to a good paycheck,” he said.
By Anna Gustafson
