What is Business Development and Leadership program?
Over the course of two years, students engage with increasingly challenging business concepts, both in terms of hands-on application and the underlying theory. As they study advanced business topics connected to marketing, finance, project management, motivation, leadership, development and business consultation, students have the opportunity to learn, practice and implement the professional skills necessary to prepare them for broad career paths relating to business and entrepreneurship. Students who complete the Business Development and Leadership program graduate high school with a competitive advantage by integrating industry standard skills and understanding with rigorous academic curriculum.
Why
We want our students to be ready for whatever comes after high school. It’s clear in today’s business environment, employers seek applicants with the professional skills needed to complete tasks and serve customers well from day one. Unfortunately, industry cannot find enough of those applicants in their current hiring pools. CTEC’s Business Development and Leadership students work with the other CTEC programs and real-world clients to offer business services. This provides our students with the understanding, work ethic and experience to fill open positions industry struggles to fill. This is the competitive advantage CTEC is committed to providing for our students. Our students are ready to start their careers with the following industry-relevant skills and knowledge:
- Ability to identify needs in various business environments and develop creative solutions
- Design and implementation of marketing tools and plans
- Basic concepts related to personal and business finance
- Professional conduct with strong communication skills
- Strong leadership skills that translate well to the workplace
- Project management
- Exposure to graphic design software
- College credit: COMM 111
How
Students complete the Business Development and Leadership program while earning English, social studies and business elective credits. Students receive coaching and resources to explore career options by interacting with industry partners and going on site visits. Coupled with the experiences they have throughout this program, they graduate with a plan and the ability to adjust the plan throughout their career. With a foundation of industry-standard skills, rigorous English and social studies contextualized to the projects and consistent interaction with industry, our students are ready to pursue their dreams and goals.
CTEC Business Development and Leadership Staff
We welcome you to get to know our CTEC Business Development and Leadership Staff and a little about background experience.
David Ewing, Business Development & Leadership Instructor
David Ewing began his career by teaching English-immersion kindergarten and elementary school in South Korea from 2011 to 2012, and ESOL to elementary school students in China from 2012 to 2013. He then taught ESOL at Shanghai University of Engineering Science from 2014 to 2016. After taking a break from teaching to get his master’s degree, he taught at Beijing City University from 2018 to 2021. He has been teaching at CTEC since 2021. From 2017 to 2018, David worked as a Chinese translation editor at a non-fiction publishing house. When asked what his favorite thing about working at CTEC is, he responded, “The chance to work on real-world products and services helps our students see the value of what we’re teaching them, which means they’re happy to be here.” In David’s spare time, he enjoys heavy metal and jazz music, learning languages, reading history, traveling, gardening, hiking, and spending time with his family.
David Fox, Business Development & Leadership Instructor
David Fox has been teaching in CTEC’s Business program since 2018. Prior to that, he owned and operated a commercial printing company for 24 years, and has been running a small seasonal food booth business since 2015. David loves watching students develop skills and learn about positioning themselves for opportunity in the future. He appreciates CTEC’s culture of teamwork among teachers and students. When David is not teaching, he enjoys mountain biking, running, cooking, gardening, playing music and family dinners.
Jake Fineran, Business Development & Leadership Instructor
Jake Fineran has a degree in Business Management from Oregon State University and a Masters degree in teaching from Western Oregon University. Jake has been at CTEC since 2018, and prior to that, he operated his own house painting business for 10 years. His favorite part about CTEC is getting to know students over the course of a 2 year program. It allows him to get to know students really well, become invested in their success, and watch students form strong bonds with each other, which leads to a fun environment. When Jake is not teaching, he enjoys running, camping, fishing, golfing, board games, comic books, basketball and reading.