``Reaching the Stars'' CTE Summit Showcases Benefits of Career Technical Education

Summit Message is Clear - Expanding CTE will Reduce Drop Out Rate,
Improve Student Performance, Keep California's Economy on Cutting Edge
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--Former NASA astronaut, Ken Reightler, helped launch California's
first annual Career Technical Education Summit today, where lawmakers
saw the benefits of CTE in action and were urged to expand CTE
instruction in the state's schools.

Reightler was joined by Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, Attorney General
Jerry Brown, Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell,
legislators, educators and dozens of students from around the state,
who demonstrated the skills they've gained through CTE at exhibits
showcasing robotics, construction, agriculture, engineering,
aerospace, biotechnology and other career areas.

"CTE has been shown to remarkably impact many students' desire to
remain in school and to revitalize their commitment to education,"
featured speaker Ken Gray, author of the book Other Ways to Win, told
the crowd. "We need to ensure that students know there are multiple
pathways, in addition to college, that they can take to be successful
and fulfilled."

"The message coming out of this summit is very clear," said Jack
Stewart, president of the California Manufacturers and Technology
Association and co-chair of the GetREAL coalition, which hosted the
summit. "Career technical education improves academic achievement,
makes school more relevant, provides students with new career and
educational opportunities and is vital for the long-term health of
California's economy."

"Career technical education is a proven winner with students,
parents and the public," said GetREAL co-chair Bob Balgenorth,
president of the State Building & Construction Trades Council of
California. "Expanding CTE will encourage more students to stay in
school, teach them the value of work and give them skills that will
benefit them whether they choose to attend college or begin their
careers after graduating from high school. It opens the door to
good-paying jobs in a variety of exciting and vital fields."

The summit featured a NASA exhibit and panel discussion about the
Constellation Program's Orion, the crew exploration vehicle to be used
for missions to the moon and eventually Mars.

"Career Technical Education gave me the foundation to launch my
career in the electronics and aerospace industry. It provided me with
the skills I needed as a technician to work at Aerojet on many
programs including NASA's Orion program. In my 25 years in the field,
I have always seen a real demand for skilled technicians and we must
do all we can to ensure we have these highly skilled workers in the
future," said Aerojet Instrumentation and Controls Engineer, Kevin
Schneider.

The summit also featured testimonials from parents, teachers and
students who have benefited from CTE, along with business owners who
warned about a growing shortage of skilled workers.

"It's getting increasingly difficult to find workers with the
skills and knowledge needed in today's high-tech workplace," said ACE
Clearwater President Kellie Johnson. "My business and California's
economy can't compete without skilled workers, making the need to
expand CTE instruction very urgent and very real."

Legislators discussed ways to expand CTE and agreed on a
resolution to support state and local education policy reforms to make
CTE an integral part of every student's education. More than 50
Democrats and Republican legislators signed the resolution (Download
Resolution: www.cmta.net/cte_resolution.pdf).

"I have proposed requiring all high school students to take a
minimum of two CTE courses in order to graduate," said State Senator
Tom Torlakson. "We need to ensure that the Legislature takes action
and restores CTE to its rightful place in California education."

St. Francis High School freshman, Ashley Peng, discussed one
CTE-related project that has made an impact on her career choices.
"Our team spent six weeks building this robot. It was great that so
many people and so many different companies were able to see what my
team has accomplished," she said. "My robotics team makes me look
forward to going to school, learning new skills, and pursuing a career
where I know I can use the skills I've learned."

It's clear that CTE allows students to explore potential careers
and reinforces the theories and concepts of core academics through
hands-on application. The "Reaching the Stars" Summit demonstrated
that California can't afford to keep 21st Century technical education
from its students. NASA astronaut Ken Reightler might have said it
best in his concluding presentation, "Who will be the next generation
that will get us to Mars?"

Web: www.getrealca.com

CA Manufacturers & Technology Assn.
Gino DiCaro, 916-498-3347
or
State Building & Construction Trades Council
of California
Jim Lewis, 916-443-3302
or
California Space Authority
Eric Daniels, 916-551-1543
or
NASA Constellation Program
Kristin Conner, 916-355-2143 (Aerojet)
Joan Underwood, 303-594-7073 (Lockheed Martin)

Copyright Business Wire 2008