Wayde Sick may have less than a month on the job in his new role as North Dakota’s State CTE Director, but he’s already setting some ambitious goals for Career Technical Education (CTE) in his home state.

Among them, he’s setting out to raise the profile and awareness of CTE in North Dakota so that it is a first-choice for students while in education – including those who plan to attend a four-year university after high school – and be recognized source of workforce talent by employers.

“I believe in the importance of CTE – not only for education but for fulfilling [the state’s] workforce needs,” Sick said. “I want to tell everybody what CTE is and the opportunities it can lead to.”

Sick knows he has big shoes to fill, as the previous State Director held this position for 15 years, but is confident that his background and experience will be an asset to help him develop creative, effective partnerships to advance high-quality CTE.

Born and raised in North Dakota, Sick attended Minot State University and graduated with a degree to teach social studies. Soon after graduation, he accepted a position teaching high school history and coaching football and track. A few years later, he had the opportunity to move to the Burdick Job Corps Center in Minot and continue teaching as an academic instructor. It was here that he first connected with CTE. By the end of his eight-year tenure at the center, Sick served as the manager of all CTE programs and even rose to be deputy director.

After a short stint helping to turn around a local Montessori preschool, Sick joined the North Dakota Department of Commerce, where he helped establish a unique partnership with the state’s Society of Human Resource Managers to co-host a Governor’s Workforce and Human Resources Conference to help employers and state leaders work collaboratively on workforce solutions.

Another point of pride for Sick was establishing a workforce development grant program with the state’s tribal colleges to align with in-demand industries and help lower the unemployment rate for the state’s native populations.

Serving as the director of the state’s workforce development programs also allowed Sick to interact with the state CTE office. Though he had no plans to leave his post at Commerce, when the job of State CTE Director became available, Sick jumped at the opportunity.

Sick said he is settling into his new role and excited about the work ahead.

Andrea Zimmermann, Senior Associate for Member Engagement and Leadership Development