Career & Technical Education

Read more about classes and programs that are designed to prepare students for work

Explainer

High school seniors Alex Yates, left, and David Romero work on an assembly line machine in a mechatronics class in the career and technical education program at Warren County High School in McMinnville, Tenn., in 2017. The technology skills they learn in the class help prepare them for jobs in the area’s booming automotive industry.
What Is Career and Technical Education, Anyway?
Find answers to eight commonly asked questions about career and technical education here.
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Chief Leschi Schools senior Gerald Dillon, 18, who spends time as a teaching assistant for a second grade class through the school's career and technical education program, look son Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Chief Leschi Schools in Puyallup, Wash.
The Education Department just withdrew 60-year-old regulations holding school districts responsible for "disparate impact" of their policies across racial and ethnic student groups. It also rescinded similar regulations for career-technical education programs. A March 18, 2026 photo shows a senior who works part time through the career's CTE program at Chief Leschi Schools in Puyallup, Wash.
Lindsey Wasson/AP
Equity & Diversity Education Department Scraps Longstanding Discrimination Rules
Districts will no longer be liable for "disparate impact"—in discipline, course access, or CTE programs.
Mark Walsh & Stephen Sawchuk, July 23, 2026
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7 min read
A student climbs the block steps placed before them. The lettered blocks spell out "FUTURE." Career Technical Education.
Daniel Diosdado for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion Is Career and Technical Education Stuck in the Past?
Often, CTE programs can look good on paper without serving the students who could use them most.
Cami Anderson, July 23, 2026
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5 min read
Tue., June 23, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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College & Workforce Readiness Webinar The Road to Opportunity: Making CTE Accessible for All
The most valuable CTE happens off campus. For too many students, transportation is the barrier that keeps opportunity out of reach.
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Tue., June 16, 2026, 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar Data-Driven and District-Ready: What EdWeek Research Tells Us About the CTE Market
Discover how to sharpen your positioning in a fast-moving market of CTE with actionable strategies grounded in EdWeek Research Center data.
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June 16, 2026
Thu., June 11, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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College & Workforce Readiness Webinar From Coursework to Careers: Expanding Work-Based Learning and Industry Credentials in CTE
Expand work-based learning and industry credentials in CTE to connect classroom learning with real careers and prepare students for future success.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
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Boone Williams, 20, center, talks to other students in the apprentice training program class at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 572 facility in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Williams says eventually he expects to earn far more than friends who took quick jobs after high school. He even thinks he’s better off than some who went to college — he knows too many who dropped out or took on debt for degrees they never used. “In the long run, I’m going to be way more set than any of them,” he says.
Boone Williams, 20, center, talks with students in an apprentice training class at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 572 facility in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 2, 2023. Programs like this reflect growing interest in career pathways as more students weigh alternatives to traditional four-year college degrees.
Mark Zaleski/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Not All Students Are College-Bound. More Schools Are Paying Attention
The "college for all" rallying cry is quieting down, even at traditional college-prep high schools.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 29, 2026
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5 min read
Ninth grader Chandler Wiley, 14, presents her AI powered project in Riverside High School's Introduction to AI class.
A 9th grader presents her AI-powered project during a high school's Introduction to AI class in Greer, S.C., on Nov. 11, 2025. K-12 and college officials both expect to introduce new technology-based, career-focused classes in the years ahead.
Thomas Hammond for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Interest in Career and Tech. Ed. Has Jumped. Which Fields Will See the Biggest Growth?
An EdWeek Research Center survey suggests students are showing a greater interest in career-focused courses.
Mark Walsh, May 12, 2026
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4 min read
Close crop photo of a student's hands working with wires of a semiconductor.
High school student Caden Wang, 15, works on a wheatstone circuit bridge during a class about semiconductor manufacturing at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., on Nov. 5, 2025. The national advocacy group Advance CTE says it's trying to push past barriers and get more information from employers about the work-based skills students need.
Photo by Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A The Struggle to Move From Data to Outcomes in Career and Technical Education
The head of a major organization focused on preparing students for careers talks about its new vision.
Lauraine Langreo, May 11, 2026
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4 min read
Students present their AI powered-projects designed to help boost agricultural gains in Calla Bartschi’s Introduction to AI class at Riverside High School in Greer, S.C., on Nov. 11, 2025.
Students present their AI powered-projects designed to help boost agricultural gains in Calla Bartschi’s Introduction to AI class at Riverside High School in Greer, S.C., on Nov. 11, 2025. With growing interest in CTE, an organization of state CTE directors has developed a five-year vision for strengthening its connections with career opportunities.
Thomas Hammond for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness The Job Market Is Changing. How Career and Technical Education Can Keep Up
A new vision from Advance CTE imagines what the future of career education should look like.
Lauraine Langreo, May 7, 2026
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7 min read
Keaton Turner, a junior at Warren County High School, welds a during an advanced manufacturing class in McMinnville.
Keaton Turner, a junior at Warren County High School, welds a during an advanced manufacturing class in McMinnville, Tenn., in May of 2017. States and districts need to do a better job connecting career-focused academic lessons with industry goals, speakers at a recent Education Commission of the States forum said.
Joe Buglewicz for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness How to Bring More Value to Career-Tech Education Programs
Aligning academic goals to the labor market is critical, according to the Education Commission of the States.
Jennifer Vilcarino, May 6, 2026
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5 min read
Thu., April 30, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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College & Workforce Readiness Webinar CTE for All: How One School Board Builds Future-Ready Students
Discover how CPSB uses partnerships and high-quality digital resources to build equitable, future-ready CTE pathways for every student.
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College & Workforce Readiness Reports Work-Based Learning in Postsecondary Education: Results of a National Survey
Based on a 2025 survey, this report examines key questions about educator perspectives on work-based learning in postsecondary education.
April 23, 2026
College & Workforce Readiness Spotlight Spotlight on College and Career Pathways Designed to Serve All Students
CTE is transforming career prep: AI, high-tech training, and real-world learning connect students to in-demand jobs and future-ready skills.
April 1, 2026
Thu., March 12, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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College & Workforce Readiness Webinar Building for the Future: Igniting Middle Schoolers’ Interest in Skilled Trades & Future-Ready Skills
Ignite middle schoolers’ interest in skilled trades with hands-on learning and real-world projects that build future-ready skills.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
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