Students Find Relevance in Career and Technical Education Programs

How does Career and Technical Education (CTE) fit into high school reform? When taught effectively, CTE is a powerful model to transform how students are prepared for the world of work. CTE programs provide a model of instruction that makes sense to students. They provide students with an understanding of the relevance of their CTE education to their future career goals. Forty percent of high school students in Michigan enroll in CTE courses, and 99 percent of those students graduate from high school. Students can apply in 8th grade to start a CTE program in 9th grade (however, each district has its own requirements on the issue). Students enrolled in CTE programs have the opportunity to acquire skills that prepare them for successful career entry, advancement, and/or continuing education. These skills are transferable, as well as job specific, and basic to the students’ general education, providing them with a foundation for life-long learning.

Students in CTE can choose from six Michigan Career Pathways: Arts and Communication; Business Management, Marketing, and Technology; Engineering, Manufacturing, and Industrial Technology; Health Sciences; Human Services; and Natural Resources and Agriculture. These pathways align with the 16 U.S. Department of Education Career Clusters, which make them a part of the Workforce Development and Education System. Benefits of this alignment include a common theme for communication from state to state, enhanced academic achievement, basic benchmarks for current Career and Technical Education programs, and preparation for post-secondary education and the workforce.

Students and the community benefit from CTE pathways. The programs help develop workplace, academic, and technical skills; build links to future training, college, and the workplace; and add relevance to the high school curriculum.

CTE programs are required to meet rigorous business and industry standards and students must still meet academic requirements for graduation, including math courses recommended in the Michigan Merit Core Curriculum. CTE graduates are also very productive: 99 percent of them are working at least part time and 69 percent are in college. A recent survey showed that 48 percent of CTE graduates are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program.

Why do students seek out CTE? It could be that they realize the value that real world experience brings to their high school experience. CTE allows students to glimpse the world outside the classroom. It helps students answer the question, “Why do I need to take these courses?” and “Why is a high school education important to my future?” Students in CTE have a clear educational path to their future goals.

Some students will need more math and science than others, but all of them must have the necessary academic skills. CTE recognizes the importance of post-secondary education. That’s why CTE teachers and administrators work very closely with colleges and universities to ensure that what is being in taught in high schools is aligned with what students will need to continue in their post-secondary education. They do this through program Articulation Agreements that allow students to earn as many as 24 credits toward a college degree. In fact, CTE cannot be taught effectively without applying academic knowledge and skills. CTE helps students make sense out of the academic curriculum requirements in high school.

Law enforcement officers will need the principles of government. Electricians, engineers, nurses, and construction workers will need math and science. For some of the 40 percent of students involved in CTE programs, these courses offer specific understanding of the importance of getting a well-rounded education. As a result, they also provide a reason and inspiration to stay in school. Preparation for college and preparation for work have become one and the same. The key to success for a sizable percentage of Michigan’s students is packaging graduation requirements so that the state’s educational system continues to offer both CTE and rigorous academic courses.

For more information, contact: Patty Cantu, Director, Office of Career and Technical Education, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, P.O. Box 30008, Lansing, MI 48909, cantup@michigan.gov or visit www.michigan.gov/mdcd and click on Career Education.

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