Career & Technical Education

Explainer

High school seniors Alex Yates, left, and David Romero work on an assembly line machine in a mechatronics class in the career and technical education program at Warren County High School in McMinnville, Tenn., in 2017. The technology skills they learn in the class help prepare them for jobs in the area’s booming automotive industry.
What Is Career and Technical Education, Anyway?
Find answers to eight commonly asked questions about career and technical education here.
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A George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School student participates in a butchery class at Essex Kitchen in New York, Tuesday, May 21, 2024.
A student at George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School tries her hand in a butchery class at Essex Kitchen in New York on May 21, 2024. Most high school students think they need more education after graduation, but they're less likely than previous generations to think it needs to be at a four-year college.
James Pollard/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Infographic Students Want to Learn More About Careers. Will High Schools Step Up?
Students say they want more career education, and EdWeek Research Center survey data show schools are emphasizing it more.
Matthew Stone, October 1, 2024
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5 min read
Agnieszka Crownoever explains the surgical robot to intern Lutrell Kirk, an 18-year-old high school senior, at Northwest Health in Valparaiso, Ind., Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Agnieszka Crownoever explains how a surgical robot works to intern Lutrell Kirk, an 18-year-old high school senior, at Northwest Health in Valparaiso, Ind., on June 4, 2024. Lutrell and other seniors are part of a program to give them hands-on experiences before graduation.
Eric Davis for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Students at This High School Do Internships. It's a Game Changer
A superintendent challenged his high school to get half of seniors engaged in learning outside the building. Students responded.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 30, 2024
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9 min read
Young girl working on an electrical panel in a classroom setting.
iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness What the Research Says The State of Career and Technical Education, in Charts
New federal data shows more than 8 in 10 high school graduates completed at least one course in a career-education field in 2019.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 3, 2024
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2 min read
Reagan Institute Summit on Education panelists discuss career-connected education at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 2024.
Reagan Institute Summit on Education panelists discuss career-connected education at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 2024.
Annie Goldman/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness What’s More Important to Students and Employers: Skills or Credentials?
At the Reagan Institute Summit on Education, leaders discussed the evolving value of college degrees versus career skills.
Annie Goldman, May 28, 2024
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4 min read
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Washington.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing on Capitol Hill on May 7 in Washington.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
Federal Miguel Cardona in the Hot Seat: 4 Takeaways From a Contentious House Hearing
FAFSA, rising antisemitism, and Title IX dominated questioning at a U.S. House hearing with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.
Libby Stanford, May 7, 2024
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6 min read
Bethel High School films a production of Fear the Fog at Fort Monroe on June 21, 2023.
Students from Bethel High School in Hampton, Va., film "Fear the Fog"<i> </i>at Virginia's Fort Monroe on June 21, 2023. Students wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the film through a partnership between their district, Hampton City Schools, and two television actors that's designed to give them applied, entertainment industry experience.
Courtesy of Hampton City Schools
College & Workforce Readiness This East Coast District Brought a Hollywood-Quality Experience to Its Students
A unique collaboration between a Virginia school district and two television actors allows students to gain real-life filmmaking experience.
Caitlynn Peetz, March 26, 2024
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6 min read
Heidi Griebel and Josie Wahl participate in carpentry class at Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Jan. 7, 2019.
Heidi Griebel and Josie Wahl participate in carpentry class at Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Jan. 7, 2019. CTE programs were a core theme of several governors' state addresses in 2024.
Loren Townsley/The Argus Leader via AP
States Republican and Democratic Governors Both Are Touting This K-12 Priority
Workforce readiness and career and technical education were the most common education themes in governors' state of the state addresses.
Evie Blad, March 20, 2024
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6 min read
Kermir Highsmith, left, Dynasty McClurk, center, and Nevaeh Williams, work in their culinary arts class at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Dec. 13, 2022.
Kermir Highsmith, left, Dynasty McClurk, center, and Nevaeh Williams, work in their culinary arts class at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Dec. 13, 2022.
Nate Smallwood for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness States Are Making Work-Based Learning a Top Policy Priority
Interest in career and technical education continues to grow in schools nationwide, new report shows.
Lauraine Langreo, February 23, 2024
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3 min read
Heidi Griebel and Josie Wahl participate in carpentry class at Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Jan. 7, 2019.
Heidi Griebel and Josie Wahl participate in carpentry class at the Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Jan. 7, 2019. A new bill in the U.S. Senate would authorize state grants to bolster dual enrollment, apprenticeships, and other forms of on-the-job training.
Loren Townsley/The Argus Leader via AP
College & Workforce Readiness A Career Prep Bill Gets Bipartisan Support in the Senate. What’s in It?
New federal legislation would authorize state grants to bolster dual enrollment, apprenticeships, and other forms of on-the-job training.
Caitlynn Peetz, February 7, 2024
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4 min read
Photo of a diverse group of elementary aged kids around a table building robots and testing them together with a male teacher during a stem robotics class.
iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness This District Wants to Start CTE in Elementary School, in a New Twist on Career Prep
It's believed to be the nation's first gaming and robotics magnet school for elementary-age students.
Caitlynn Peetz, January 26, 2024
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6 min read
Students make measurements to wood to add to a tiny home project during their shop class at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Dec. 13, 2022.
Students make measurements to wood to add to a tiny home project during their shop class at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Dec. 13, 2022.
Nate Smallwood for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Parents Value 'Workforce Development.' Here's How to Get Their Support for CTE
The ways in which schools and policymakers talk about career and technical education influences parents' support for it.
Lauraine Langreo, November 8, 2023
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4 min read
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Students make measurements to wood to add to a tiny home project during their shop class at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Dec. 13, 2022.
Students work on a project to build a tiny home during a shop class at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Dec. 13, 2022.
Nate Smallwood for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A How One District Ensures That Career Education Leads to Jobs for Students
The director of Pittsburgh's career and technical education program outlines how she approaches community partnerships.
Lauraine Langreo, May 30, 2023
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2 min read
Tenth graders, TaeLyn Johnson, left, and Dilana Gray, right, practice on a dummy during their EMS class at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Dec. 13, 2022.
Tenth graders TaeLyn Johnson, left, and Dilana Gray practice EMS skills during a career and technical education class at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh on Dec. 13, 2022.
Nate Smallwood for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Everyone Earns an Industry Certification and Most Go to College in This CTE Program
Pittsburgh Public Schools' CTE students are graduating with at least one industry certification and a confirmed post-graduation plan.
Lauraine Langreo, May 30, 2023
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10 min read
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