CTE FACTS

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Career and Technical Education creates pathways to success for all secondary students by providing them with the technical skills and academic knowledge needed to prepare for future employment and/or a successful transition to post-secondary education.

Career and Technical Education encompasses a variety of programs structured to equip students with work and life skills. In Utah, over 198,000 students (grades 7-12) participate in CTE courses annually that help them explore career options and develop occupational skills. The curriculum of career and technical education gives students the practical experience they need to succeed through a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory work, and on-the-job training. CTE is offered in all 109 high schools and 141 middle schools.

Career and Technical Education jump-starts students’ careers by preparing them for jobs while still in, or just out of, high school. Students gain an advantage in increasing their earning power by entering the job market early. In Utah, all graduating students have taken a career and technical education course in high school, and approximately 30% of all high school career and technical graduates enter some form of post-secondary program.

Preparing students for meaningful work is an important goal of career and technical education because of the widening skills gap in the nation’s workforce.

• While about 66 percent of all jobs require some post-secondary training, only 24 percent of all jobs in Utah require at least a bachelor’s degree.
• Career and technical education prepares students for tomorrow’s workplace. Career and technical educators work closely with the Department of Workforce Services and Utah employers to make sure students have the skills the labor market demands.

Our vision is to see that every student has the opportunity to explore a variety of career areas, throughout high school, that will equip him or her with the academic knowledge, technical and employment skills vital for entry into the evolving workforce of the 21st century.

AREAS OF STUDY

Agricultural Education: Encompasses agricultural business and management, agricultural engineering, animal science, and horticulture.

Business Education: Encompasses accounting, administrative procedures/office support positions, banking and finance, business computer technology, communications, and Web page design.

Economics and Entrepreneurship Education: Encompasses aspects of economics, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy.

Family and Consumer Sciences Education: Encompasses child development/child care, food and nutrition, food services/ culinary arts, hospitality, interior design, and fashion design.

Health Science Education: Encompasses biotechnology, dental assisting, emergency medical technician, medical assisting, nurse assisting, and pharmacy technician.

Information Technology Education: Encompasses database development, digital media, network design, programming and software engineering, technical support, and Web development.

Marketing Education: Encompasses advertising and promotion, e-commerce marketing, fashion merchandising, sports and entertainment marketing, and travel and tourism.

Skilled and Technical Sciences Education: Encompasses a wide range of trades including auto mechanics, carpentry, commercial art and photography, commercial aviation, cosmetology and barbering, drafting, fire science, law enforcement, and welding.

Technology and Engineering Education: Encompasses materials, processes, and technologies used in manufacturing, construction, transportation, communication, and engineering-related technologies.

SUPPORTING PROGRAM AREAS

Comprehensive Guidance: Assists students through specific self-appraisal and self-improvement activities to enable effective planning to meet their personal education and career goals.

CTE Introduction: Allows students, through activity-centered lessons, to utilize technology, develop beginning skills, and explore careers. This course provides information regarding additional courses and training related

Skill Certificate: Provides statewide competency-based student assessments. Student skill attainment is measured by core standards and competencies needed to be successful in the workforce. to each student’s career field of interest.

Pathways: Give all students, including traditional college-bound students, a focus on their future by preparing each student with the high-level technology skills necessary to succeed in today’s competitive work environment.

Work-Based Learning: Gives students the opportunity to learn a variety of skills by expanding the walls of classroom learning to include the community. By narrowing the gap between theory and practice, work-based learning creates meaning for students.

DROPOUT PREVENTION

• Utah ranks eighth highest in the nation in the percentage of high school graduates.
• Utah high schools graduate 88 percent of their students, compared to the national average of 74.7 percent.
• Students who earn Career and Technical Education credits tend to remain in school. In fact, CTE students are three times less likely to drop out of school.
• Students who participate in Work-Based Learning activities such as internships, job shadowing, field studies, and career fairs are 30 percent less likely to drop out of high school.
• A combination of 60 percent academic courses and 40 percent Career and Technical Education is the most effective dropout prevention program in the American high school.*

JOB PLACEMENT

• The more CTE courses students take, the less likely they are to suffer periods of unemployment.
• Career and Technical Education graduates find employment 2.2 times faster than graduates from general education programs.
• High school students who graduate with a Career and Technical Education concentration are 2.5 times more likely to be employed while pursuing post-secondary education.
• Eighteen of the 20 fastest growing occupations within the next decade will require Career and Technical Education.
• There are many high-tech jobs in Utah that students can perform as a result of taking CTE courses while in high school.
• Career and Technical Education enables students to acquire the skills necessary for entry into good paying careers with high potential for rapid financial growth, increased levels of responsibility, and a high degree of personal satisfaction.

ON-THE-JOB PRODUCTIVITY

• Data shows that Career and Technical Education graduates are worth higher wages because they are more productive than other workers. CTE employees require less formal on-the-job training than those without CTE.
• Career and Technical Education in the high schools closes the workforce gap by giving students a jump-start in obtaining essential life skills and certified occupational skills.
• Career and Technical Education reduces the workforce gap by providing long-term job education and skills training for students, enabling them to reach their full potential. Studies reveal a strong correlation between education/technical skill levels and continued employment/lifelong earnings.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR FURTHER LEARNING

• This past year, over 24,000 Career and Technical Education students were enrolled in concurrent enrollment courses.
• Most high school seniors expect to go on to college to seek four-year degrees. However, approximately 60 percent actually enroll in college. In Utah, 34 percent of the population age 25 and older holds a college degree (associate or higher).
• There are nine post-secondary institutions in Utah that offer technical programs, including community colleges, technical institutes, skill centers, and other public and private two-year and four-year colleges.
• In Utah, there are over 325,000 secondary and post-secondary Career and Technical Education students. Nationally there are 11 million secondary and post-secondary CTE students, according to the U.S. Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
• This year, Utah ranked eighth for the most educated workforce in the U.S.

HANDS-ON APPROACH

• Career and Technical Education uses a hands-on approach that teaching experts believe is more effective with many students than reading or listening to lectures alone.
• Through Work-Based Learning activities, over 138,000 students participate in internships, job shadowing, field studies, and career fairs annually. Through these activities students have the opportunity to see how classroom instruction connects to the world of work and future career opportunities.

BASIC CAREER AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Students without a strong math, science, and computer background will find about 80 percent of future jobs beyond their reach.
• Career and Technical Education programs can be either general or occupation-specific. General programs provide basic employability skills and introduce various occupational fields. Occupation-specific programs teach the same basic skills, but also prepare students for a particular job or cluster of jobs.
• Over 137,000 students (grades 9-12) participate in CTE courses annually.
• This year, over 70,000 concurrent enrollment credit hours have been earned by CTE students.

CAREER AND TECHNICAL STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS (CTSOs)

• CTSOs help students develop leadership skills and positive work values, while reinforcing the Career and Technical Education curriculum.
• Seven student organizations include: DECA, FBLA, HOSA, SkillsUSA, TSA, FCCLA, and FFA.
• In Utah, over 25,000 secondary students participate in student leadership organizations.

*Source: Plank, NCRVE.

Updated November 16, 2009