By Stepfanie Romine for NAF
(Source: NAF)
In partnership with national education non-profit, NAF, Broward County Public Schools has become a model for how career and technical education can open doors for students and prepare them for the futures. Additionally, with the support of its Career, Technical, Adult and Community Education office and a network of employers in the local community, the district is expanding opportunities that take students from classrooms to careers.
“With career and technical education, we really look at ensuring that all of our students have an opportunity,” said Loli Formoso, the district director of CTACE. “And for some of our students, it’s going to be college, and for some of our students, it’s going to be industry. It’s extremely important for our partnerships to assist us with everything from field trips and guest speaking to internships, and that they’re really able to bring industry experiences into the classrooms.”
That approach is delivering measurable results. Over the past two years, Broward students earned more than 28,000 industry certifications and doubled the number of Bright Futures scholarships awarded to career and technical education students. Certifications span more than 100 fields, from entrepreneurship and project management to NAF pathways, such as health sciences, hospitality, and engineering.
At Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, the impact of these partnerships is especially evident. The A-rated school is home to six NAF Academies and 17 different CTE tracks, the largest in the district.
“Students really get the opportunity to engage with our partners in a meaningful way – in terms of internships, in terms of really applying what they’re learning inside of the classroom and in the actual industry,” said Tavures R. Williams, principal at Blanche Ely.
For example, said Williams, students in practical nursing and allied health tracks work in local hospital networks to earn hours of hands-on experience needed for their program. Students from Blanche Ely train at the Pompano Beach Fire Academy.
“They’re actually learning how to turn the hose,” he said.
The school also emphasizes cutting-edge, industry-aligned experiences. Funded by a grant from Intuit, NAF Academy of Culinary Arts students are preparing to run a fully operational food truck that will operate at community events. NAF Academy of Finance students sharpen their workplace etiquette skills and deliver practice pitches in the school’s new mock boardroom, which also serves as a professional meeting space on campus.
Beyond the metrics are individual success stories, said Williams. He recalled a student who once had notoriously poor attendance and little interest in school. After being connected with the NAF Academy of Engineering, his outlook changed.
“Let me tell you, he soared,” said Williams. “He is an absolute success story right now.”
This student is now in college, with plans to study engineering.
“Connecting kids with some of these pathways not only gives them the technical skills, but I think it also changes them from the inside out.”
Formoso shared another story of a student who struggled after losing a parent. Supported by the school and his CTE program, he earned a scholarship, completed his studies, and has since returned as a teacher in the district.
“It’s a really nice full-circle moment for us,” said Formoso, who was also a CTE student in Broward County. “Some kids come to school to get an education, and some also are coming for family, so it’s just a really nice way of reminding ourselves how important it is to personalize every student’s education.”
Partnerships extend throughout the district and community, ranging from in-kind and monetary donations to internships, small businesses to global corporations, across the public and private sectors. These relationships are mutually beneficial. Students gain access to jobs and Future Ready Skills early on, while businesses get to connect with motivated talent and a chance to address workforce needs.
“Recently, we met with Broward Health, and they’ve provided us with a list of their high-need areas,” Formoso explained. “We’re going to be taking a look at our different health science tracks and will be able to provide students with employment directly out of high school.”
Industry partners increasingly seek out Broward students because of their skills and professionalism, said Formoso. “They start hiring our students and see that they really do have the skills needed to go directly into the workforce,” she said.
Williams likened these partnerships to interviewing a candidate for almost three years.
“When the opportunity comes, and they’re hirable, and they’ve passed that certification, it’s like, ‘yeah, no doubt in my mind, this is the person that I need to grow my business or my organization,’” said Williams. “That is something that definitely gives our students a competitive edge.”
To build on this momentum, Broward has placed career technical education advisers in every high school. These liaisons manage partnerships, coordinate internships, and strengthen connections to postsecondary institutions and employers.
The goal is to keep growing.
“We’ll have a dedicated person on campus that’s going to be working directly with the students on the soft skills, on really linking them to exactly what that student needs,” she said, adding that the plan is to continue strengthening the pipeline to local technical and community colleges and beyond.
NAF and Blanche Ely have had a longstanding history spanning more than two decades — with the Academy of Information Technology launching back in 2001 and growing over time to include Academies of Engineering, Finance, Health Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism, and most recently, Culinary Arts.
For Williams, the vision is clear: “Every student should find a pathway that excites them and equips them with real-world skills. With these partnerships, we can make that possible.”
Any business or professional in the community can find a way to get involved through NAF. Opportunities can vary from joining a local advisory board, volunteering to provide work-based learning opportunities, or partnering with Broward County Public Schools to bring access to hands-on learning and CTE to district students.
About NAF: NAF provides access to opportunities for high school students and their communities, by bringing schools and businesses together to better prepare the next generation of leaders for college, career, and future success. Visit www.naf.org to learn more.
