CTE Students Excel in Problem-Solving Skills Used in Workforce
CTE Students Excel in Problem-Solving Skills Used in Workforce
Luci Mouton
Dr. Gene Burton College and Career Academy students are gaining a competitive edge by utilizing A3 Lean Management, a powerful problem-solving tool used in industries worldwide.
A3 Lean Management, rooted in Toyota’s production system, is designed to help individuals and teams streamline processes, identify challenges, and implement effective solutions. The Career and Technical Education (CTE) students are applying this methodology to class projects, learning to think critically, work collaboratively, and create data-driven solutions to real-world problems.
Students from the Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security, and Health Science career pathways presented their A3 Lean Management projects to local businesses at a recent Lean Management Showcase hosted at the campus.
Senior Christa Kratzmeyer, who is in the Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security career path, developed with her classmates an A3 project that helped target competition goals her Law & Order Club wanted to achieve. By using the A3 method, student achieved a record number of wins at the regional competition.
“We used a brainstorming tool that helped construct ideas pertinent to opening and closing statements,” said Christa. “We organized and labeled each section as strengths that collectively lead to a great speaker and someone who would do well in competition.”
Teachers have been integrating A3 Lean Management into the classroom to help students break down problems step-by-step and focus on continuous improvement.
“We learned that we do have some flaws in the organization of our team that we wouldn’t have noticed otherwise,” said Christa. “But we also realized these issues are fixable, and we can always improve upon them.”
The A3 Lean Management tool is one of many ways the Dr. Gene Burton College and Career Academy is preparing students for success in the workforce.
“I will be using A3 to organize my studies in college. Most definitely in a hospital to organize larger projects,” said Abigail Robison, a senior in the Health Science career path. “I think learning it now is a great asset to us. It’s a lot of information, so learning it in high school gives us a better understanding for when we apply it to our careers.”