Barre, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Agency of Education (AOE) are pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Oscar Aliaga as Vermont’s first ever State Career Pathways Coordinator. This position will help align Career Technical Educational (CTE) program offerings to the skill needs of key industries in Vermont’s economy, thereby ensuring students can access the education and training they need to obtain and advance in high-wage, high-growth careers in their home state. This position, proposed by the Governor and funded by the Legislature, represents the first state-level commitment to support career readiness.
Formerly a program director at the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, Aliaga is a national expert in career pathways systems. As a researcher and published author, he brings a thorough understanding of trends in high school students’ course-taking patterns and applied learning experiences. Aliaga also has extensive experience working with business and industry, CTE educators, college faculty, and workforce development partners throughout his career. In Vermont, Aliaga will work with education and employer stakeholders to build a statewide system of training and educational opportunities in high-growth sectors identified in the state’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies: health science, construction and green building design, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and natural resources, information technology/STEM, and hospitality and tourism.
“Career pathways will link our students to good paying jobs in our highest priority economic sectors, and the pathways will make clear to our students how to take advantage of programs in middle and high school to make sure they are developing the essential skills for good paying careers,” said Gov. Scott. “Ensuring Vermont students can access these programs is an important step to growing our economy and we are fortunate to have been able to recruit Dr. Aliaga to Vermont to spearhead in this effort.”
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