Career and technical education programs are on the rise and appear poised for greater expansion.
Well over half (61%) of educators report their districts have increased their CTE offerings over the past five years, according to a recent survey of teachers, principals, and district leaders by the EdWeek Research Center.
Over the next five years, three quarters of educators expect to offer more opportunities for work-based learning and internships, greater access to programs that allow students to earn industry-recognized credentials, and more opportunities for on-the-job, career-learning experiences, the survey found.
The expanding opportunities schools are offering appear to be a response to rising student demand. Enrollment in K-12 CTE programs increased 10 percent between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, from 7.8 million to 8.6 million students.
“CTE, right now, is in a bit of a renaissance,” said Michael Connet, the associate deputy executive director for outreach and partnerships for the Association for Career and Technical Education. “You’re hearing a lot of people talk about it.”
Now, Connet added, “we’re more focused not just on the piece of paper or the competency that comes out, but having the skills that lead toward great employment opportunities and lifelong careers.”
In an open-ended question in the EdWeek Research Center survey, educators were asked: What CTE courses/areas are most popular right now with your students and why?
Education Week combed through more than 320 of those responses and picked 35 that represent important themes or issues in career and technical education, such as a desire for hands-on learning, the ability to earn competitive salaries right out of high school, and an interest in emerging fields that are now being integrated into school district CTE programs.
Here is a look at those 35 responses, which have been edited for length and clarity:
Higher pay and the ‘cool factor’ draw students toward high-tech fields
—District-level administrator—student services | Oklahoma
—District-level administrator—Title I/equity | North Dakota
—Middle school teacher | Texas
—Middle school principal | State not available
—Middle school principal | South Carolina
—District-level administrator | Michigan
—District superintendent | Massachusetts
Students attracted to hands-on nature of construction and building trades such as welding
—District-level administrator—Career and Technical Education | New Mexico
—District-level administrator | Massachusetts
—District-level administrator—student services | Michigan
—High school teacher | Michigan
—District-level administrator—special education | Georgia
—High school teacher | Ohio
—District-level administrator—Title I/equity | New Mexico
—District-level administrator | State not available
—District-level administrator—Career and Technical Education | Maine
—Principal | State not available
Health sciences, culinary, and cosmetology draw interest, due to immediate job opportunities
—High school principal | Virginia
—School-level employee, former charter school principal | California
—District-level administrator | State not available
—District-level administrator—Career and Technical Education | California
—District-level administrator—Career and Technical Education | Florida
—District-level administrator—Career and Technical Education | Pennsylvania
—High school teacher | Missouri
—High school vice-principal | New Jersey
Agriculture careers are popular in rural areas
—District-level administrator—Career and Technical Education | Texas
—District-level administrator—Career and Technical Education | Virginia
—District-level administrator—Career and Technical Education | Idaho
—District superintendent | Oklahoma
‘Kids are realizing that college is not required to get a good-paying job’
—District-level administrator—special education | State not available
—High school teacher | Nevada
—District-level administrator | Ohio
—District-level administrator | State not available
—District-level administrator—Career and Technical Education | Massachusetts
—Middle school teacher | Georgia
Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.
