CTE is an educational model that aligns secondary and postsecondary education to labor market demand, and provides students with the technical, academic and employability knowledge and skills they need for success. Put simply, CTE prepares students for careers of their choice. (National Association of State Directors of CTE Consortium—NASDCTEc)
What is the Purpose of Career and Technical Education?
Educate students for a range of career options through 16 Career Clusters® and over 79 pathways-Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE)
Fulfill employer needs in high-skill, high-wage, high-demand areas-ACTE
Prepare students to be college- and career-ready by providing core academic skills, employability skills and technical, job specific skills-ACTE
Help students identify and prepare for careers that they have always wanted or perhaps never even realized were available to them-ACTE
Ensure a dynamic workforce by fully developing every student’s career and academic potential-Arizona Department of Education CTE Vision
Prepare Arizona students for workforce success and continuous learning-ADE CTE Mission
Provide applied learning opportunities that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of an industry, including entrepreneurship of an individual-[Carl D. Perkins Act of 2006, Section 3(5)]
The Facts
CTE leads to few dropouts
CTE creates personalized pathways to success
CTE integrates business and industry perspectives
CTE trains students for high-growth industries
CTE introduces students to the world of work
CTE closes the skills gap
CTE allows professionals to advance
CTE represents a positive net investment for society
