Education today has to do more than deliver information, it needs to open doors. Possibilities matter just as much as knowledge, especially when students are thinking about their futures. Career Technical Education (CTE) is built with that mindset.
CTE gives students meaningful exposure to the kinds of work shaping the world – starting early. Through industry-aligned experiences, hands-on learning, and career pathways that reflect real opportunities, students gain a clearer picture of who they are and how they want to contribute. It’s a thoughtful, forward-looking approach that helps them explore not just careers, but identities and ambitions.
CTE of the 21st Century
One of the biggest misconceptions about CTE is that it only prepares students for physically demanding jobs, like construction or machine operations, and exists mainly as an alternative to a four-year college degree. This narrow view overlooks how much the field has evolved. Today’s CTE isn’t just keeping pace with the workforce; it’s designed for where the workforce is going.
In Fall 2024, Advance CTE released a new framework that reflects that shift. It emphasizes the collaborative mindset, tech fluency, and interdisciplinary thinking that are now essential across nearly every industry.
“It’s designed to help students see the possibilities of where their talents and interests can lead,” says Deidre Gwin, a senior leader with decades of experience across both corporate and nonprofit sectors. “Maybe they’ve always wanted to be a photographer, but they haven’t thought about being a drone photographer before. And maybe they realize they love entertainment and want to combine their passion for photography and entertainment by working as a photographer within the entertainment sector.”
One of the most forward-looking changes in the framework is the inclusion of cross-cutting career clusters – areas like management and entrepreneurship, digital technology, and marketing and sales. These clusters help students see how industries overlap, where skills transfer, and how career paths can shift over time. Instead of locking into one direction, students build a foundation that can move with them – through industries, roles, and opportunities of the future.
Building Confidence in What Students Want to Be
CTE programs give students a broad view of what’s possible. Most introduce students to 14 career clusters – from financial services to arts and entertainment – and offer structured ways to explore those fields through hands-on learning, certifications, and internships. But what makes these clusters especially valuable is their flexibility. Career pathways aren’t the same everywhere – they change depending on local industries, regional economies, and even state culture. This flexibility matches how careers develop in real life, constantly adapting to new opportunities, technologies, and community needs.
And that’s exactly why early exposure matters. When students can explore different roles and industries before they’ve committed to a path, they’re better prepared to make informed decisions. This is especially critical now, as the unemployment rate among college graduates has surpassed that of the general labor force. Understanding what kinds of work exist – and what those jobs actually involve – gives students a head start on building careers that make sense for them.
Nina Walls, Director of CTE and Innovation in Rockingham County, North Carolina, works with more than 10,000 students. Her focus is on giving them the chance to experience real work – not just in theory, but in practice.
“I had one student who had her mind set on being an RN. She always said she knew what she wanted to do,” Nina shares. “But after going through an internship at the hospital with the CTE program, she realized she didn’t actually want to be an RN. She was so grateful for the experience.”
That student figured out something important early, something many students don’t discover until years into college. Because of that firsthand experience, CTE students are more likely to understand what a job really entails, and can better align their education with their strengths, values, and long-term goals.
Learning Connected to Real-World Needs
CTE looks at learning from all angles. It focuses not just on core academics, but also on 21st-century skills, the needs of local industries, and supporting students as whole people. Rather than replacing traditional subjects, these real-world connections bring them relevance.
“When we conduct interviews with the high school students and ask why they want to be here, they tell us constantly it’s because we offer hands-on learning,” Nina says.
For many students – and especially non-traditional learners – hands-on experiences help students visualize hard-to-grasp concepts. When students can see how what they’re learning applies in real life, they’re more likely to stay curious and keep exploring those subjects.
CTE programs start building real-world skills well before high school. In fact, by elementary school, students are already exploring career pathways in meaningful ways. By the time they finish middle school, many have earned industry certifications, practiced hands-on healthcare skills like drawing blood from model arms, or even worked with x-ray technology. This early and practical exposure gives students a head start, helping them build confidence and clarity about their future long before they have to make big decisions.
Behind these hands-on experiences is a curriculum shaped by local, national, and global demands. Program directors work hand-in-hand with industry partners and dig into market research to identify skills gaps, job openings, and broader trends shaping the workforce. This way, students are gaining experiences and skills that truly prepare them for the opportunities waiting in their own communities.
Take Rockingham County, for example. Nina points out that manufacturing, healthcare, and construction are the area’s top job sectors. And as technology like AI and automation reshapes these fields, schools are responding by weaving computer science into every program. This ensures students are not just ready for the jobs of today, but also for how those roles will evolve in the future.
CTE Supports a Thriving Community
Career readiness is only part of what students gain through CTE. They also learn how to make informed choices, take initiative, and understand how their interests connect to real opportunities. These experiences add up – shaping students who know what they want, why it matters, and how to pursue it. That clarity benefits more than just the individual. It supports schools, strengthens local economies, and creates communities where young people see a future worth investing in.