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.
View Explainer
A school bus crosses over U.S. 160 from the Navajo Nation, left, onto the Hopi reservation, right, Monday, March 4, 2024, in Tuba City, Ariz. U.S. Highway 160 is the de facto border between the Navajo and Hopi Indian reservations and two time zones. Mind-bending time calculations is what people in the largest Native American reservation in the U.S. have to endure every March through November. The Navajo Nation, which stretches into Utah and New Mexico, will reset clocks for one hour later despite the rest of Arizona remaining on standard time.
A school bus crosses over U.S. 160 from the Navajo Nation, left, onto the Hopi reservation, right, on March 4, 2024, in Tuba City, Ariz. For school districts that offer offsite work-based learning experiences, transportation is a key challenge.
Matt York/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Transportation Is a Challenge for CTE Programs. How Districts Are Solving It
One district found innovative ways around this barrier.
Jennifer Vilcarino, September 24, 2026
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4 min read
South Career and Technical Academy student ambassadors and student councils hand out wristbands to new students as they arrives at CCSD’s newest high school, opening its doors for the 2025-2026 school year, on Aug. 11, 2025 , in Las Vegas .
South Career and Technical Academy students hand out wristbands to new students as they arrive at their school system's newest high school on Aug. 11, 2025, in Las Vegas. A new report recommends that school, college, and workforce leaders break down silos in their data, in order to better coordinate career-technical education goals.
Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via TNS
College & Workforce Readiness Why Schools, Colleges, and Employers Aren't Connected on Career-Technical Education
Too much data on education and the labor market exist in silos, a new report finds.
Grace Jiang, September 24, 2026
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6 min read
Leaders in education have a panel discussion about offering a path for students from schools into careers.
Industry leaders discuss the new Compact for America’s Youth during a launch event in Washington on Sept. 10, 2026. The compact brings organizations together to work on solutions to scale up career-connected learning.
Courtesy of CareerWise
College & Workforce Readiness How Can Schools Connect Students to Careers? A New Compact Has a Plan—and Money
The compact comes at time of rising uncertainty for young workers due to AI.
Lauraine Langreo, September 22, 2026
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5 min read
Chief David Hope, left, instructs junior Madilyn Ruder during a Firefighting and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) academy course at South Tech High School in Sunset Hills, Mo., on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. Students spend half their school day learning skills before returning to their home high school for traditional courses. (Whitney Curtis for Education Week)
Teacher David Hope, left, instructs junior Madilyn Ruder during a firefighting and emergency Medical Technician (EMT) academy course at South Tech High School in Sunset Hills, Mo., on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. Hope has to foot the bill to keep up with fast-changing EMT technology, something many districts don't cover for their career and technical education teachers.
Whitney Curtis for Education Week
Teaching Profession Skills Change Fast in CTE. Can Teachers Keep Up?
As career education expands, teachers often are still left to find industry training on their own.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 15, 2026
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10 min read
A Workforce Development job fair at Pepin’s Hospitality Centre, 4121 N 50th St , on Thursday, April 2, 2026 in Tampa . Thousands of Hillsborough County Public Schools seniors meet face-to-face with employers for on-the-spot interviews, job offers, internships, and training opportunities.
People attend a workforce development job fair at TPepin’s Hospitality Centre on April 2, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. As job seekers experience labor market volatility, a report underscores the importance of career literacy.
Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via TNS
College & Workforce Readiness The Job Market Is Changing. Report Makes the Case for Career Literacy
Career literacy is strongly linked to positive workforce outcomes, concludes a new report.
Lauraine Langreo, August 27, 2026
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4 min read
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
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College & Workforce Readiness Whitepaper Your CTE Pathways Are Strong. These AP Courses Can Make Them Stronger.
See how the skills taught in AP Career Kickstart courses connect students to in-demand jobs in high-growth fields projected to add 2M+ op...
Content provided by Advanced Placement
College & Workforce Readiness Spotlight Spotlight on What Works: How District Leaders Are Redefining Student Readiness
See how districts are balancing college prep, career pathways, AI, and academic rigor to prepare students for success.
July 31, 2026
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
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
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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