Students have more potential career possibilities today than ever before in history. The internet has introduced a global community that has dramatically expanded the resources and options available to today’s students. This widespread possibility has also made the process of career selection and preparation more complex  Schools and districts today have the unique challenge of directing and preparing students for the busy modern world. This is where career and technical education (CTE) courses are so valuable.  

The Role of a CTE Educator

A CTE leader in education has the task of teaching specific career skills to help prepare students for future jobs. CTE courses are proving to be a valuable asset to schools all over the country. These types of courses give students early exposure to career options, boost their possibilities for the future, and help students to be eligible for better jobs.

CTE courses help expose students to career options early in their education. Starting as early as middle school, students can experience activities and tasks related to topics such as health science, STEM, manufacturing, or business. Many students don’t know the varied career fields available to them. Experiences in CTE courses help expose them to options they may have never considered before.

Preparing Student For the Future with CTE

Students enrolled in CTE courses are better prepared for the future. According to the Applied Education Systems CTE statistics, 95% of students enrolled in CTE courses graduate high school. With the high school diploma in hand, students are better equipped to secure high paying jobs, attend college, and provide for themselves in the future. Seventy percent of CTE students say entering a CTE program of study helped them get better grades. Higher grades tend to open doors as students look for scholarships and apply for further schooling. With these statistics, it’s clear to see that CTE courses give students a boost as they face the busy world.

The skills students learn in CTE courses are highly desirable by future employers. Topics such as business, engineering, programming, or law are highly relevant across disciplines. Employers are highly interested in hiring people who have an understanding of practices learned in CTE courses. Students who leave high school with marketable skills on their resumes have an advantage in highly competitive job markets. Even if students pursue a career field different from their CTE courses, the skills they learned still prove valuable across disciplines. It's clear that students can learn valuable information in CTE courses.

With the whole wide world of careers, jobs, and life paths available to students, it can be difficult to know where to start. Students who participate in CTE courses have a leg up as they step into the busy modern world. Career and technical education courses help give students access to different career fields early on, so they can start navigating their preferences and organizing opportunities.  

Learning from CTE Educators Across the Globe

The world is getting increasingly more complicated and students are presented with more technical opportunities than ever. We have the opportunity to learn from several career and technical educators all over the world. It’s important for us to recognize the work they are doing and help give them the tools they need to give students access to these career-ready valuable skills. 

If you’d like to learn more about CTE, visit our blog here and get involved in helping your local school districts get their students and teachers the access and curriculum they need to prepare every student, no matter their background, for current and future careers.