Career and Technical Education

Many students think only of four-year universities as a way to attain the education and skills required in today's competitive job market, but there are many viable and worthy options to attaining a postsecondary degree. Career and technical education helps students and adults meet postsecondary needs by providing academic subject matter taught with relevance to the real world, employability skills, technical training and certifications to ensure students have up-to-date, job-related skills.

Community colleges, technical colleges and other career and technical education provide students flexible and affordable options to attaining a degree. Career and technical education also provides continuing education to adults to earn additional degrees, especially when related to career advancement, as well as retraining for emerging career areas.

How does Career and Technical Education Help to Meet Economic Needs?

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' projections, eight out of the top ten occupations with the largest job growth through 2014 will require an associate's degree or vocational trainingⁱ.


• CTE programs help prepare students for all 20 of the fastest growing occupations identified in the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook (2006-2007 edition)ⁱⁱ, and in all 14 job sectors identified by the Department of Labor's High Growth Job Training Initiativeⁱⁱⁱ.


• According to the National Association of Manufacturers in its 2005 Skills Gap report, over 80 percent of respondents are experiencing serious shortages of skilled workers. CTE provides students with the skills necessary to meet employer needs and increase competitiveness^iv.


• According to the state of Washington, for every dollar spent on secondary CTE students, federal and state governments will receive seven dollars back in social security, Medicare and federal and state taxes^v.

Who participates?

Over five million students enroll in postsecondary career and technical education. The chart below contains disaggregated enrollment data from program year 2004-05^vi

What must happen to ensure access and affordability?

With nearly a third of all students in for-credit postsecondary education enrolled in career and technical education, federal and state governments must consider policies and provide investments that

• Result in universal opportunity for all students to attend at least two years of postsecondary education, such as a community college or technical college.


• Improve financial aid opportunities for part-time students and working students.


• Provide support for comprehensive guidance programs that teach students about the full range of career and postsecondary options available to them.


• Support research and dissemination of quality programs that seamlessly connect secondary, postsecondary and workforce requirements.


• Identify and remove policy barriers to better align and integrate adult education and training programs so that more adult learners can more efficiently acquire postsecondary credentials.


• Continue to support programs that encourage low-income students to participate in postsecondary education, including the elements of these programs that are aimed at helping students succeed once they are enrolled in postsecondary education.


• Prioritize funding to support need-based financial aid programs.


• Expand state scholarship funding for low-income part-time students.


• Ensure workforce training support may be applied to postsecondary education.

Additional Information:

CTE's Role in Secondary-Postsecondary Transitions
Expanding Opportunities: Postsecondary CTE and Preparing Tomorrow's Workforce

ⁱBureau of Labor Statistics. “The 10 Occupations with the Largest Job Growth, 2004-14,” www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.t06.htm.
ⁱⁱU.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2006), “Occupational Outlook Handbook: 2006–07 Edition,” http://stats.bls.gov/oco/home.htm.
ⁱⁱⁱU.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. “The President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative,” www.doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative/#TargetedIndustries.
^ivNational Association of Manufacturers. “Skills Gap 2005,” www.nam.org/s_nam/bin.asp?CID=202426&DID=235731&DOC=FILE.PDF.
^vWashington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (January 2007) Workforce Training Results-2006.
^vi U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education. (December 2007), Report to Congress on State Performance, Program Year 2004-2005.

Prepared by The Association for Career and Technical Education