Integration of Human Resource Management Knowledge into Career and Technical Education

Career and technical education (CTE) occupations require highly skilled workers. This workforce must possess very specific technical skills. In addition to the technical skills, these professionals need to posses knowledge, skills, and abilities for the workplace that are non-technical in nature. To ensure students have this non-technical preparation, core interpersonal skills and business components are needed in the CTE curriculum. The integration of human resource development and management (HRD & M) concepts in CTE can develop these skills. Understanding the human resource (HR) component provides those entering CTE professions a better systems view of the organization and how the organization functions outside of their own technical area. Additionally, the understanding and knowledge of core HR components, that are not technical skills, are needed when human resource functions are integrated into technical job roles. When entering the workforce new professionals will need to perform HR functions. Often times CTE students are not highly prepared for non-technical skills in their CTE education. Therefore CTE should have HR concepts integrated into the curriculum so graduates are prepared to successfully implement the education they received into a workplace setting. With this in mind, this chapter seeks to provide an overview of HRD & M concepts, discuss how HRD & M are integrated into the work roles of those entering CTE professions, and show how these concepts can be integrated into CTE courses.