Career Technical Education (CTE)

Promotes and supports locally based middle and high school programs that provide 21st century, academic and technical skills for all students
Gives students the skills to go to work straight out of high school or eventually earn a degree
Guides students in creating a clear career goal
Allows youth to learn something practical and new

CTE for Students

CTE is the avenue for students to:

Explore careers in middle and high school, especially careers in high-demand, high-growth fields such as healthcare and green technologies.
Identify a career goal.
Write a High School and Beyond Plan, with help from school career and guidance counselors, that identifies the high school and college-level academic and skills-based classes, training programs and apprenticeships that will best prepare them for their career path of choice.
Take classes in high schools, at skills centers and at community and technical colleges that apply math, science, and other academic subjects in real-life, hands-on ways.
Pursue rigorous Programs of Study to a registered apprenticeship, industry certifications and two- and four-year college options.
Earn tuition-free college credits as well as high school credits required for graduation.

CTE Career Clusters and Pathways

There are many pathways offered through CTE. These pathways help high school students (and even some middle school students) gain secondary and postsecondary education, training, and support services while they acquire marketable skills, industry-recognized credentials, and eventually good jobs. Career pathway systems combine rigorous academics with workplace experience using the latest technologies.

CTE classes fall into one of 16 "career clusters." A career cluster is a group of jobs and industries that are related by skills or products. Within each cluster, there are career pathways that correspond to a collection of courses and training opportunities to prepare students for a chosen career.

The 16 clusters were established at the national level by the States' Career Clusters Initiative and are recognizable across the United States in middle schools, high schools, community and technical colleges, and the workforce.

The clusters listed below link to PDFs from OSPI’s CTE website that contain information on careers, affiliated student leadership organizations, education, and training options for high school graduates after high school, and other related student resources.

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Architecture & Construction
Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
Business, Management & Administration
Education & Training
Finance
Government & Public Administration
Health Science
Hospitality & Tourism
Human Services
Information Technology
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
Manufacturing
Marketing
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Programs of Study

Under Perkins V, local education agencies and postsecondary institutions should offer more than one program of study that:

Incorporates challenging state academic standards
Addresses both academic and technical knowledge and skills, including employability skills
Is aligned with the needs of industries in the economy of the State, region, Tribal community, or local area
Progresses in specificity (beginning with all aspects of an industry or career cluster and leading to more occupation-specific instruction)
Has multiple entry and exit points that incorporate credentialing
Culminates in the attainment of a recognized postsecondary credential

The programs of study listed below link to PDFs from OSPI’s CTE website and include examples of approved courses, WBL opportunities, and postsecondary options.

Program of Study Agriculture Sciences Example
Program of Study Business & Marketing Example
Program of Study Family & Consumer Sciences Example
Program of Study Health Sciences Example
Program of Study Skilled & Technical Sciences Example
Program of Study STEM Example

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