Developing Dutchess County’s workforce was the thrust of the Career and Technical Institute’s Main Advisory Council meeting today, March 19. Industry representatives from across the county and beyond gathered to hear a keynote presentation from Louise McLoughlin, executive director of the Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board (WIB), learn about their impact on CTI and what the future holds.
McLoughlin shared that the last New York State Department of Labor Job Seeker Survey in 2024 (2025 results are not out yet) indicated that many employers were not hiring people due to a lack of experience (51%) and insufficient education/training (39%). In the Hudson Valley, she shared that among the hardest positions to fill were teachers, administrative, sales, direct support, program managers, teacher assistants, registered nurses, CDL drivers, home health aides, chefs and mechanics.
CTI has programs that support many of those career paths for younger students and, through Dutchess BOCES Adult Learning Institute and WIB programs, many of the skills gaps could be addressed.
As for the impact of AI on the workforce, she shared this: “AI will take the job of someone who doesn’t know how to use AI.” Interestingly, in the 2024 survey, 55% of employers said they were not implementing AI. She expressed interest in how the number changes for the 2025 survey.
McLoughlin encouraged BOCES’ industry partners to give the younger generation a voice at the table as they bring different perspectives and ideas, something echoed by Director of CTE and Adult Education Nicholas Millas. He encouraged attendees to share some of their challenging projects with students and let them work on a solution.
Millas told attendees that this year CTI made changes to the grading process, putting more weight on students’ knowledge and skills - the ability to actually do the work. Teachers still assign and assess homework, quizzes and classwork, but those scores no longer count toward a grade. Students are also given the opportunity to retake/resubmit summative assessments such as unit tests and skill demonstrations. They must have all the other work completed in order to retake. A score of less than 65% is a mandatory retake; over that is optional.
While different from a typical school grading procedure, Millas emphasized that it is being used at many schools across the nation and that there is extensive research behind it. He is collecting data after this first year of implementation to see the impacts on industry assessments and long-term student retention of information.
Many attendees were happy with the new direction.
When it was time for questions, some attendees asked how they, as businesses, could help more?
The answer was easy: Be in communication and provide support. “The more you are here, the more you connect with us, the better,” Work-Based Learning Coordinator Sharon Myers said. They were all encouraged to participate in the fall Trade Advisory meeting, at which industry partners meet directly with teachers to discuss changes in the industry and learn what the teachers need to help students succeed.
“It’s a transformational partnership,” Millas said.
At the end of the meeting, Myers and Millas recognized 7x24 Exchange representatives Dan Moore and Joe Szabo for a $10,000 donation for scholarships to CTI students. They also presented a certificate for the SkillsUSA “Business Partner of the Year” to Dave Stewart of DS Home Services.
