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Career and technical education (CTE) is a crucial piece of worldwide economic success, particularly with talent shortfalls forecasted in numerous industries–but CTE leaders still face challenges in creating successful CTE programs that prepare students for career-ready fields.
A new report from iCEV, The World Needs CTE: Why Career & Technical Education Holds the Key to Our Economic Future, is intended for state elected officials, state departments of education, administrators, CTE leaders, and educators, details trends in global and domestic job growth, workforce projections across major industries, and how CTE programs can set students on a path to great jobs.
District educators said recruiting industry professionals to teach is their biggest challenge when it comes to CTE programs, followed by finding program funding, PD for CTE educators, tracking state accountability requirements, and implementing industry certifications in the CTE program.
Seventy percent of CTE educators reported industry experience prior to teaching, while 30 percent reported having no industry experience before teaching.
CTE teachers were the most likely of all grades 9-12 public school instructors to be newer to the profession, with 10 percent having less than three years of teaching experience. In addition, 29 percent had three to nine years of experience, 36 percent had 10 to 20 years of experience, and 25 percent had more than 20 years of experience.
About 38 percent of public CTE instructors entered teaching through an alternative certification program–a much higher rate than overall instructors (19.4 percent), Before going into teaching, 65.5 percent of public CTE teachers worked in the private sector.
The report identifies three additional steps to create and sustain successful CTE programs that prepare students for career-ready futures.
1. Invest in CTE teaching excellence
- Create streamlined, funded pathways for industry professionals to enter teaching
- Develop professional development systems that keep educators current with industry trends
- Provide comprehensive, ready-to-use curriculum resources aligned with standards
- Establish mentorship programs connecting experienced and new teachers
2. Prepare career-ready students
- Adopt engaging, career-focused curriculum that connects learning to real-world applications
- Create clear pathways with industry-recognized certifications
- Integrate essential workplace skills into technical training
- Provide hands-on and digital learning experiences
3. Power industry growth through CTE
- Prioritize high-growth industry needs with targeted curriculum
- Provide industry-recognized certification preparation and testing
- Create a media relations campaign, including social media, to raise awareness
- Implement real-world scenario-based learning resources
- Develop industry partnership programs for both funding & internships
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