New resources from researchers and national organizations are adding to our knowledge about quality credentials, particularly non-degree credentials. Continue reading

CTE educators nationwide will soon receive questionnaires as part of an annual collaboration between ACTE and myOptions. The questionnaires provide ACTE with valuable research on CTE, students with postsecondary planning resources and educators with customized reports about their students’ postsecondary and career goals. Continue reading

Beginning in August, ACTE is collaborating on a webinar series about secondary CTE as a viable pathway for developing the skills of students with disabilities (SWD) and preparing them for the future. Changes in Perkins V and an increasing emphasis on college and career readiness for all students are bringing... Continue reading

ACTE is continuing its series exploring in detail each of ACTE's 12 elements of high-quality CTE with Defining Quality: Student Career Development. Student Career Development is one of 12 elements in the ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study Framework, a comprehensive, evidence-based set of quality standards for CTE programs. Criteria... Continue reading

ACTE recently updated its timeline of major events in CTE history to include the passage of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). This one-pager highlights important moments in federal CTE policy, starting with the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 and continuing with short descriptions... Continue reading

Manufacturing employs almost 13 million people—nearly 9 percent of the labor force—and much of industry growth has been occurring in high-tech sub-sectors like automotive and aerospace manufacturing. Learn how CTE prepares the workforce in advanced manufacturing with ACTE’s updated Sector Sheet. This brief has been revised with the latest on... Continue reading

In May, a data-sharing agreement for the State Wage Interchange System (SWIS) was sent to relevant state education and workforce agency heads. States that sign the agreement will be able to exchange quarterly wage records with other states in the SWIS program. The wage data available through SWIS includes employer... Continue reading

The U.S. Senate CTE Caucus hosted a briefing this week that addressed the wide universe of data relevant to CTE program quality and improvement. ACTE Research Manager Catherine Imperatore moderated the briefing. Panelists from national organizations and a state department of education addressed the opportunities for improved data alignment and... Continue reading

This month, ACTE is launching a new series exploring in detail each of ACTE's 12 elements of high-quality CTE with the first brief in the series, Defining Quality: Business and Community Partnerships. Business and Community Partnerships is one of 12 elements in the ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study Framework,... Continue reading

Transportation, warehousing and related fields employ more than 13 million people—9 percent of the labor force—and more than 600,000 new jobs are projected in transportation and material moving by 2026. Learn how CTE prepares the workforce in transportation, distribution and logistics (TDL) with ACTE’s updated Sector Sheet. This brief has... Continue reading

CTE is not only a popular topic in media coverage these days. A number of organizations are also weighing in on CTE and career readiness through new research and publications, including organizations that have long been active in this space and groups that are newer to CTE. Voters support skills:... Continue reading

On the federal and state levels, 2018 was a significant year for CTE. The President signed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) into law, signaling a federal commitment to and a recognition of the promise and value of high-quality CTE. On the state... Continue reading

2018 was a significant year for CTE on the federal and state levels, with the majority of states taking action to support and expand CTE. These policies address such varied topics as work-based learning, industry-recognized credentials, credit transfer, graduation requirements and access and equity issues. Join ACTE and Advance CTE... Continue reading

Start your new year off with recent publications relevant to CTE. The following briefs and reports address such issues as work-based learning implementation, educational credentials and their value in the workplace, expanding apprenticeship, community college-employer engagement, the importance of non-cognitive skills and the connections between Advanced Placement and CTE. Advanced... Continue reading

The aerospace and defense sector directly and indirectly employs 2.4 million Americans. Learn how CTE prepares the future workforce in this sector with ACTE’s updated Sector Sheet. This brief has been revised with the latest on job demand, talent shortages and exemplary CTE programs. This sector typically pays well above... Continue reading

As part of its ongoing work to help CTE educators and administrators develop and improve the quality of their CTE programs, ACTE recently released the 2018 version of its Quality CTE Program of Study Framework. High-quality CTE has become a national catchphrase in use by policymakers, practitioners, and education and... Continue reading

This week ACTE is releasing a new infographic describing opportunities in cybersecurity and how CTE prepares students for this high-wage, highly-skilled and fulfilling career pathway. With more than 300,000 unfilled jobs in the United States needing cybersecurity skills, CTE programs—including courses, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and opportunities... Continue reading

Fill your fall reading list with new research and publications on CTE equity, industry-recognized credentials, career pathways and postsecondary outcomes. Credentials of Value: ACTE, among other education and industry leaders, participated in a working group convened by the Education Strategy Group, in partnership with the Council of Chief State School... Continue reading

In this fourth year of our High-quality CTE Initiative, ACTE is concluding a pilot test of our comprehensive, research-based quality CTE program of study framework. We will be releasing a finalized framework and evaluation rubric this fall, and we have already begun integrating the 12 elements of high-quality CTE into... Continue reading

Explore CTE’s role in developing the workforce in financial services with ACTE’s updated Sector Sheet. This brief has been revised with the latest on job demand, talent shortages and exemplary CTE programs. There are almost four million “good jobs”—jobs that pay an average of $55,000 annually—in financial, consulting and business... Continue reading

At the end of August, CTE educators nationwide will begin receiving packets with questionnaires for CTE students and teachers. These questionnaires are a collaboration between ACTE and myOptionsTM, and they provide ACTE with valuable research on CTE program elements and student outcomes that informs our work and helps us develop... Continue reading

Read up on the latest publications addressing postsecondary CTE program quality and student outcomes as well as externships, education-workforce data sharing and how manufacturers use credentials in hiring. Ensuring Postsecondary CTE Quality: How can states promote postsecondary CTE program quality? A new report from Advance CTE examines strategies for encouraging... Continue reading

The following recently published research makes the case for the benefits of CTE to students, workers and regional economies. Students Want Technical Training: More students are considering community and technical colleges and programs, according to a survey of 500-plus U.S. high school sophomores, juniors and seniors conducted by the College... Continue reading

This summer CTE reading list addresses secondary CTE data in Iowa, the relationship between apprenticeships and community colleges, counts of how many credentials are available in the United States, and more. Iowa CTE: Iowa has published a first-of-its-kind report on recent trends in secondary CTE programs, students and teachers. The... Continue reading

Learn about CTE’s role in developing the workforce in biosciences with ACTE’s updated Sector Sheet. This brief has been revised with the latest on job demand, talent shortages and exemplary CTE programs. The biosciences sector employed almost 1.7 million Americans across more than 77,000 businesses in 2014, with earnings that... Continue reading