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
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Artificial Intelligence Opinion How Will AI Automation Affect Career and Technical Education?
It’s always been important to get education right for all students, but the arrival of ChatGPT means it’s now more important than ever.
Rick Hess, May 25, 2023
•
6 min read
Illustration of a figure walking through a landscape of vocational iconography.
Liana Nagieva/iStock + Vanessa Solis/Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion The Nation Is Still at Risk: The Urgency of Workforce Preparation
The labor market needs education to evolve. Career and technical education has an important role to play, writes Anthony P. Carnevale.
Anthony P. Carnevale, April 28, 2023
•
5 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.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Skills Verification?
Answer 7 questions about skills verification.
Content provided by iCEV
Image of an award.
May Lim/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Milwaukee Leader Who Boosted Career Pathways Chosen as Assistant Principal of the Year
Misa Sato is an assistant principal at Reagan High School in Milwaukee.
Denisa R. Superville, April 23, 2023
•
3 min read
Teacher With Two Male English Learner Students Building Machine In Science Robotics Or Engineering Class
iStock/Getty
English Learners Q&A How Cross-Departmental Collaboration Helps English Learners
Aldine ISD department heads share advice on how they collaborate to mutually support English learners.
Ileana Najarro, April 21, 2023
•
4 min read
Young girl working on an electrical panel in a classroom setting.
iStock/Getty
English Learners How Districts Can Ensure English Learners Have CTE Access
A new analysis identified common strategies school districts can use to ensure equitable access.
Ileana Najarro, April 21, 2023
•
5 min read
A student in Julia Todahl’s cosmetology class works on a haircut at the Regional Occupation Center.
A student works on a haircut in a cosmetology class at the Regional Occupation Center in Bakersfield, Calif.
Morgan Lieberman for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness 5 Ways Schools Can Make Career Prep Programs More Rigorous and Equitable
Americans say career and technical education programs should be a top priority, but schools can easily fall into old habits.
Libby Stanford, April 12, 2023
•
5 min read
Hacker attack and data breach, information leak and cybersecurity concept.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Curriculum Biden Team Spotlights How Cybersecurity Education Can Help Protect Democracy
Cybersecurity education can help kids land high-paying jobs with a public service focus, a panel convened by the Biden administration said.
Alyson Klein, April 11, 2023
•
3 min read
Students in the auto technology class work on a vehicle at the Regional Occupational Center.
Students work on a vehicle in an auto technology class at the Regional Occupational Center in Bakersfield, Calif.
Morgan Lieberman for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness How Career Prep Programs Went From 'Dumping Ground' to Top Priority
More Americans think kids should come out of school prepared for careers, and career prep has emerged as a rare area of bipartisan accord.
Libby Stanford, April 10, 2023
•
8 min read
Student engages with UBTECHS's Jimu Robot in a classroom environment to enrich STEAM lessons.
Student engages with UBTECHS's Jimu Robot in a classroom environment to enrich STEAM lessons.
Business Wire<br/>/AP
College & Workforce Readiness Career Education Is 'for All Kids': How Work-Based Learning Can Engage Students
Work-based learning experiences can be a powerful way to help students envision themselves as professionals, district leaders say.
Alyson Klein, April 3, 2023
•
2 min read
Cardboard egg cartons sit stacked on the shelf of a grocery store cooler case.
Eggs are displayed on store shelves at a grocery store. Egg prices surged in late 2022, giving agriculture students hands-on lessons in supply chain issues.
Ross D. Franklin/AP
College & Workforce Readiness A Lesson in Eggonomics: The Story of Soaring Prices and Industrious High Schoolers
California agriculture students are undercutting grocery store egg prices—and learning big lessons in the process.
Evie Blad, February 9, 2023
•
4 min read
Students Fernando Castro and Eric Geye’s, part of the Auto Technology class, show Dean McGee the vehicle they are working on at the Regional Occupational Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Bakersfield, Calif.
Dean McGee takes a look under a vehicle alongside students from the auto technology class at the Regional Occupational Center, in Bakersfield, Calif.
Morgan Lieberman for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Photo Essay PHOTOS: Cars, Canines, and Cosmetology—All in a Day's Work
EdWeek photographer Morgan Lieberman reflects on her day with Dean McGee, a 2023 Leaders To Learn From honoree.
February 6, 2023
•
2 min read
Dean McGee pets Sydney while visiting the Veterinary Technology program at the Regional Occupation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Bakersfield, Calif.
Dean McGee, deputy superintendent of educational services and innovative programs in the Kern High School District, pets Sydney while visiting the veterinary technology program at the Regional Occupation Center in Bakersfield, Calif.
Morgan Lieberman for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Leader To Learn From Building Skills for Independent Lives: A Leader's Vision for Students With Disabilities
Dean McGee of Kern High School District in California draws on his personal experience to improve and expand career-technical education.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 6, 2023
•
7 min read
Dean McGee visits the grooming sector while visiting the Veterinary Technology program at the Regional Occupation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Bakersfield, Calif.
Dean McGee, the deputy superintendent of educational services and innovative programs in the Kern High School District in Bakersfield, Calif., visits the grooming center, part of the district's veterinary technology program.
Morgan Lieberman for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A How a California Leader Expanded Career and Technical Ed.
Dean McGee pushes career readiness in Bakersfield, Calif., where more than half of adults have a high school education or less.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 6, 2023
•
3 min read
Load More ▼