Career and Technical Education (CTE) is the practice of teaching skills-based careers to students in middle school, high school, and post-secondary institutions. CTE provides students with the academic, technical, and real-world knowledge, skills, and experience they need to be prepared for a variety of career options. CTE programs have been organized into 15 industry sectors that identify the knowledge and skills students need as they follow a pathway to their goals. CTE curriculum focuses on academic, employability, and technical skills training that helps students become ready for college or work.

CTE is highly specialized and incredibly versatile, which makes it unique from other education fields. Students can develop a specific set of skills that are still applicable to a broad range of real-world contexts, making them employable in a variety of fields. CTE programs focus on hands-on experience and career skills, and there is often a great degree of variation in the clusters and pathways an individual CTE program offers.

CTE is primarily taught in three settings: middle school, high school, and post-secondary institutions. Middle school CTE classes tend to focus on developing general workplace skills, such as computer applications or career exploration. High school CTE programs allow students to explore a range of options for their future, inside and outside of the classroom. CTE programs provide information on the various post-secondary options that might be available. Community colleges and technical institutes also offer CTE at the post-secondary level.

CTE prepares students for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies and makes academic content accessible to students by providing it in a hands-on context. CTE students receive hands-on training, mentoring, and internships from employers in their community, which gives them a head start on both college and careers through specialized classes. CTE students do better in class because the hands-on experience makes academic subjects more engaging and interesting.

In summary, CTE is a specialized and versatile education pathway that provides students with the academic, technical, and real-world knowledge, skills, and experience they need to be prepared for a variety of career options. CTE programs focus on hands-on experience and career skills, and there is often a great degree of variation in the clusters and pathways an individual CTE program offers. CTE is primarily taught in three settings: middle school, high school, and post-secondary institutions. CTE prepares students for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies and makes academic content accessible to students by providing it ...