Global Breaking News - Sunday, December 22, 2024

One morning in June, A.J. Muir, an 18-year-old high school student from Springfield, Virginia, was taking a test in an empty classroom. It was not an English or math test. Instead, it was a test that recognized his skills in keeping computer networks safe – a field called cybersecurity. Muir is going to college this autumn. But he possibly could get a good job tomorrow after passing the test. Muir had prepared for the test by taking classes at Edison Academy. The school is one of the career and technical education (CTE) centers in Fairfax County. Students at the centers take traditional classes such as English and history in addition to technical ones like cybersecurity and information technology. If President Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan is approved by the U.S. Congress, there will be a strong demand for CTE students like Muir. Companies will need people who know how to work with metal and electricity. They will need workers to build parts for roads, bridges and places to charge batteries of electric cars.