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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Alina Kiselev,17, works on a wheatstone circuit bridge during a class on semiconductor manufacturing at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., on Nov. 5, 2025.
Alina Kiselev, 17, works on a Wheatstone bridge circuit during a class on semiconductor manufacturing at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., on Nov. 5, 2025. The school launched a two-year semiconductor program this academic year to help meet the demand for trained employees in sector.
Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness In 'Silicon Desert,' a School Prepares Students to Join the Semiconductor Boom
An Arizona school district is drawing on higher ed and industry to build a CTE program in a growing high-tech field.
Elizabeth Heubeck, December 4, 2025
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13 min read
Students in the health sciences track of Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program practice taking blood pressure on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark.
Students in the health sciences track of Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program practice taking blood pressure on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program—which integrates lessons about AI into its curriculum—offers career-pathway training for high school juniors and seniors in the district.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness From Our Research Center What Are the Most Popular CTE Classes and Why? We Asked Educators
Students are very attracted to classes that offer meaningful hands-on learning.
Kevin Bushweller, December 3, 2025
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1 min read
Tue., December 02, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar How High Schools Can Prepare Students for College and Career
Explore how schools are reimagining high school with hands-on learning that prepares students for both college and career success.
Register
December 2, 2025
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offer career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program, which offers career-pathway training, work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. As career and technical education evolves, new survey findings suggest many school counselors are still more focused on college.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness From Our Research Center Can School Counselors Support the Push Toward More Career Pathways?
More districts are emphasizing career readiness, but are counselors keeping up with the shift?
Lauraine Langreo, November 26, 2025
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3 min read
Collage style illustration showing a large hand pointing to the right, while a small male pulls up an arrow filled with money and pushes with both hands to reverse it toward the right side of the frame.
DigitalVision Vectors + Getty
Federal From Our Research Center Trump Shifted CTE to the Labor Dept. What Has That Meant for Schools?
What educators think of shifting CTE to another federal agency could preview how they'll view a bigger shuffle.
Alyson Klein, November 21, 2025
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3 min read
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offer career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offers career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness How Schools' CTE Offerings Are Going High Tech
The use of new technologies is expanding across CTE programs.
Arianna Prothero, November 20, 2025
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1 min read
Carpenter training apprentice to use mechanized saw.
iStock
College & Workforce Readiness From Our Research Center Why Schools Are Adding to Their CTE Offerings, and What Could Slow Them Down
Districts are increasing CTE offerings to meet student demand, but there are challenges.
Arianna Prothero, November 19, 2025
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3 min read
Photo of young female aircraft engineer apprentice at work.
E+
States Are States Equipped to Track Students’ Paths From Classroom to Career?
Longitudinal data systems can answer critical questions about workforce priorities—if they're maintained.
Evie Blad, November 18, 2025
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4 min read
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offer career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Instructor Wendy Broughton, seated at left, works with students in the health sciences track of Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program—which integrates lessons about AI into its curriculum—offers career-pathway training for high school juniors and seniors in the district.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence ‘What Are You Doing on AI?’: How This District Added It to Career Education
AI literacy instruction is embedded across all 10 of the district's high school career pathways.
Alyson Klein, November 17, 2025
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11 min read
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offer career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Students in the digital media pathway at Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on a group project during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program—which integrates lessons about AI into its curriculum—offers career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Classroom View: How AI Is Influencing Teacher Approaches to Career and Technical Ed.
Teachers share examples of how the technology is playing a bigger role in their lessons.
Arianna Prothero, November 17, 2025
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8 min read
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offer career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Students in the technology strand of Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on a project during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offers career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district, including an emphasis on learning AI skills.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Q&A How AI Is Changing Career and Technical Education
A CTE expert recommends teachers and students fact check any information or advice AI generates.
Kevin Bushweller, November 17, 2025
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4 min read
Students in the Bentonville school district's Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program—which integrates lessons about AI into the curriculum—offers career-pathway training for juniors and seniors.
Students in the Bentonville school district's Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program—which integrates lessons about AI into the curriculum—offers career-pathway training for juniors and seniors.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week
Special Report Career and Technical Education Meets AI. What Happens Next?
School districts are modernizing their Career and Technical Education programs to help students develop AI skills.
November 17, 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.
Students do presentations about their AI-powered projects that are designed to help boost agricultural production during Calla Bartschi’s Introduction to AI class at Riverside High School in Greer, S.C., on Nov. 11, 2025. South Carolina is emphasizing the development of AI skills that are relevant for the careers students want to pursue in the future.
Thomas Hammond for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness From Our Research Center Businesses Want Employees With AI Skills. Are K-12 CTE Programs Keeping Up?
Most schools are still in the early stages of thinking about the role of AI in CTE programs.
Lauraine Langreo, November 17, 2025
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6 min read
PhD student and Physical Therapist Stephen Eaton, left, explains ultrasound imaging to RAMP students during a lab at the University of Maryland School of Medicine on Oct. 16, 2025, in Baltimore, Md. RAMP, which stands for Research and Mentoring Program, is a training program that targets high school juniors and seniors from Baltimore City to prepare them for careers in biomedical research.
Doctoral student and physical therapist Stephen Eaton, left, explains ultrasound imaging to students in the Research and Mentoring program during a lab at the University of Maryland School of Medicine on Oct. 16, 2025, in Baltimore. Men are heavily underrepresented in health fields, and more high schools are designing programs that, like RAMP, encourage boys to consider high-growth fields traditionally dominated by women.
KT Kanazawich for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Schools Are Working to Show Boys That the Helping Professions Aren't 'Girly'
Experts say boys don't get support to enter traditionally female careers.
Sarah D. Sparks, October 23, 2025
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11 min read
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