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Brad Avakian, commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, said he learned a lot from wood- and metalworking classes of his youth.

鈥淓nough so that when I was in college I worked construction for part of the time helping to work my way through college, and I think the exposure of that at a younger age is one of the reasons I pointed myself that way,鈥� he said.

Now, Avakian is leading the charge to revitalize career and technical education programs in Oregon’s secondary schools. During the 2011 legislative session, he helped push through , which provided $2 million in grant money to jump-start the CTE classes.

Then the Legislature put the funding on hold because of compounded budget constraints. But Avakian said trade-oriented classes are a necessary part of public education and that he intends to lobby legislators this month to release the grant money.

The CTE classes are essential for providing the state a skilled and ready workforce, according to Avakian. He said that a little over a decade ago, young adults seeking apprenticeships in technical trades were approximately 19 years old; now they’re 26. In addition, he said community college officials are telling him that some students are requiring up to a year of remedial classes before they can start career education.

But there is another reason, Avakian said, why CTE classes are needed.

鈥溾�� For the kids that are not going to go into a particular profession that is taught in school, it keeps kids interested in school and it gives them a life experience that they never would have had otherwise,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd that’s why you see the high school drop-out rates much, much lower for kids that are involved in these kinds of programs.鈥�

According to a 2005 study by the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, 鈥渁 CTE-to-academic-credit ratio of approximately one to two was estimated to minimize the risk of dropping out,鈥� and a recommendation was made that schools arrange schedules to accommodate that ratio. Also, 90 to 96 percent of the nation’s high school graduates took at least one CTE class during high school, according to the report.

Brian Krieg, president of marketing firm , has campaigned for shop class for the past six years. He represents industry trade groups like the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association, the Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association and Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 16.

Krieg said unions and private business owners alike have expressed concerns about how they will replace baby boomers when they retire. He said part of the problem is a false dialogue that is prolific in schools.

鈥淭he kids don’t see a career for themselves,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey’re being told go to college or you’re a failure. Go to college or you can flip burgers 鈥� there’s nothing in between there, when the fact is you have great trade careers out there, whether you’re a plumber or electrician.鈥�

Krieg said some trade jobs actually pay more than what average college graduates make. According to the United States Census Bureau, the median income for a high school graduate in Oregon is $24,147. For a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree, it’s $41,884. For a high school graduate in construction, repair and maintenance trades, the range is between approximately $30,000 and $38,000.

But Avakian said it is not uncommon for a senior electrician to make upward of $90,000 to $100,000 a year.

鈥淭hat is a great way for some young people to get into a career that will enable them to raise a family, save a little money for retirement, pay for health care and education,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I do know that a lot of college graduates are struggling to find a job anywhere.鈥�

Rep. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, has supported HB 3362 and CTE programs. The Portland Community College English professor has 30 years of teaching experience. He said CTE programs are important because they help students apply subjects like math and science outside of classrooms.

鈥淚’ve always been a book sort of person,鈥� Dembrow said. 鈥淚’ve always felt comfortable learning that way, but a lot of my friends in high school 鈥� would have been lost if they didn’t have shop classes.鈥�

This month the Legislature will decide whether to release the money it froze last year so that CTE programs can get rolling.

Dembrow said he believes that at worst, the $2 million in grant money will be subject to the 3.5 percent cut the state is recommending for all education programs. That amounts to a loss of $70,000 鈥� or roughly one program, he said.

He said legislators expect to have a clear sense of what to expect come Feb. 8, when the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis releases its state revenue forecast. In the meantime, they’re seeking letters of intent, due Feb. 10, from school districts interested in offering CTE programs.

One of the requirements is that schools must partner with other organizations, colleges or businesses so that programs can be self-sustaining and not completely reliant on seed money. Krieg said that’s a vital piece because many schools simply aren’t set up to go it alone.

鈥淚n some cases, we have high schools that have been built in the last decade that don’t have shop class space in them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t wasn’t even part of the design concept.鈥�