New Resource for Strengthening Career and Technical Education

How Can Your State Strengthen Career and Technical Education?

Today, we’re releasing ExcelinEd’s fifth and final career and technical education (CTE) playbook, Aligning State Career and Technical Education Programs with Industry Needs and Priorities. In this post, ExcelinEd CEO Patricia Levesque shares highlights from each of the five playbooks. Enjoy!

Why Is Career and Technical Education Important for Today’s Students?

Career and technical education is emerging as a priority across the nation. Parents, businesses and state leaders understand the importance of creating high-quality education options today to prepare students for rewarding careers tomorrow.

States that act now to strengthen their CTE programs will set up their local economies, employers and students for long-term success. And ExcelinEd’s CTE playbook series can help states do just that.

Today, we’re releasing the final installment in this five-part playbook series. With a focus on postsecondary credentialing and pathways into middle- and higher-wage careers, these playbooks offer states a practical guide to transform the value of CTE programs and expand opportunities for students.

1. Putting Career and Technical Education to Work for Students provides an expansive, high-level look at the characteristics of high-quality state CTE programs, while noting the essential alignment among a state’s programs of study and its economic and workforce priorities.
2. Building Cross-Sector Partnerships to Support Career and Technical Education Pathways addresses longstanding issues surrounding cross-sector partnerships and explores the critical role these partnerships play in developing and sustaining high-quality state CTE programs.
3. Auditing a Career and Technical Education Program for Quality makes the case for auditing a state’s existing CTE program before pursuing any actions to improve the program.
4. Funding for Value: Maximizing the Impact of Career and Technical Education Funding presents various funding models states can use to prioritize CTE program offerings and desired outcomes.
5. Aligning State Career and Technical Education Programs with Industry Needs and Priorities addresses the final set of steps for strengthening state CTE programs: developing CTE programs of study that align to postsecondary and in-demand career opportunities.

I hope you will explore these CTE playbooks, learn what constitutes a successful CTE program and see what other states are doing to prepare their students for the workplace of tomorrow. Please let us know if you have questions or if ExcelinEd can assist your state in developing or strengthening CTE programs for students.