Madison Park Technical Vocational High School has arrived at a moment of great new potential. Around the country there is increasing belief among stakeholders in the power of career technical education (CTE). In Boston, this puts Madison Park in the spotlight. As Boston’s only technical vocational high school, it is uniquely situated to launch students into promising careers in a range of high-skilled industries all of which are desperate to recruit new workers to fill jobs made vacant as current employees reach retirement age. Additionally, because its student body is 98% from racial and ethnic minority households, it is simultaneously positioned to help respond to the racial inequities that continue to exist in our city. Madison Park can become the hub of the Hub.

To help Madison Park achieve its potential, an alliance for the school called the Career Champions Network (CCN) was established in 2019. With more than 40 community, civic, and business leaders on board and more joining, CCN is helping Madison Park emerge as a powerful leader in career education for both students and adults in our region. To help fund school needs, CCN has established a new non-profit, the Madison Park Career Tech Foundation, to serve as its fiscal agent. The Foundation is led by Barry Bluestone, Founding Dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University and Governor Deval Patrick is its Honorary Chair. CCN has launched ambitious plans to enhance Madison Park’s programs for high school students and adult learners, in partnership with school and district leadership:

Full Business Support for the School’s Program Advisory Boards (PABs). Madison Park has a PAB for each of its 20 programs. Comprised of industry experts, PABs offer instructors insight into changes in their industries — from new procedures to new equipment — as well as the evolving skill requirements sought in entry level employees. To ensure all PABs are high-performing requires significant effort. CCN will work with existing PAB members, recruit new members, and support PAB efforts to improve student learning in the school, work experience beyond the school, and certification for high skilled occupations. CCN will also help create new PABs for any new Chapter 74 programs for which Madison Park plans seek state approval.

Continual Career Exploration by MP’s students. Students arrive at Madison Park with a desire for a career-oriented education but have little knowledge of the school’s programs and the range of high demand, high wage jobs for which the school can prepare them. The school plans to offer students significantly better guidance and support for their decision-making about career and college, with individualized college and career planning called MyCAP. CCN will tap its network to support the implementation of MyCAP, and to offer continuous career exploration for students with activities including job shadowing, employer interviews, company tours and more. Currently, CCN is producing videos about a range of careers, featuring several large local companies, to help 9th graders decide which career to “major” in at Madison Park.

Co-op for All Students. The co-operative education (“co-op”) experience should be a culminating learning experience for students participating in CTE, bringing to life the training and education students have received in the classroom. Madison Park aspires to have all students participate in co-op. The CCN is working with the school’s Co-op Coordinator to help all students do what it takes to be eligible for co-op, at the same time that it gears up to recruit new work sites so that all eligible students can participate. The CCN will work with a number of business organizations to recruit employers who can offer co-op opportunities. These include the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and the Alliance for Business Leadership.

Student attainment of Industry-Recognized Credentials (IRC’s). Madison Park will place renewed emphasis on students acquiring the most valuable credentials for Greater Boston’s labor market. An IRC is a verification of a person’s qualifications or competence gained through coursework, degrees, certifications, and licenses. CCN will support efforts that increase student success in gaining these credentials. Securing IRCs will enhance the employability of Madison Park graduates and accelerate their career trajectory.

Telling the Madison Park Story. CCN is committed to helping spread the word about Madison Park’s successes to students, families, and the community at-large. While Madison Park’s significant progress has transformed it into a school of choice for many, its past reputation unfairly deters the kind of stakeholder engagement needed for today’s Madison Park students to thrive and shine. A media campaign is planned to encourage more student enrollment, attract new partners to support the school, and portray its evolution into a high-performing school.

Adult Education at Madison Park. CCN is leading the development of a new Technical Institute at the school to take full advantage of all the equipment and assets of the school when during evenings, weekends, and the summer. The Institute will provide career education and training for a wide variety of high wage high demand jobs for adults who wish to learn new skills. Residents who lost employment due to the pandemic, those who are re-tooling and upskilling, and Returning Citizens will be the primary populations served by these initial efforts. CCN has helped the school’s recent launch of new programs in welding and HVAC, and plans to support “after dark” programming, especially in high tech areas important here.

Conclusion: Right now, at Madison Park, a powerful alliance has been formed between the school’s administration and the Career Champions Network. It offers a unique opportunity to transform Boston Public Schools’ sole vocational/technical school into a true gem in the BPS system and a leading educational institution in the Commonwealth and a model for the nation. This collaboration has the potential to significantly enhance the career pathways available at Madison Park that will lead to well-paying careers for Madison Park’s students. Few opportunities exist to play a greater role in remedying the pervasive inequality and inequity that continues to harm and inhibit communities of color than does the work now fully underway through this collaborative initiative between Madison Park and the Career Champions Network.