[Career and Technical Education] The Latest Statistics

All educators want to instill an overall love of learning in their students. But, preparing students for success in the world beyond the classroom is an equally high priority. Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a great strategy to meet this goal. CTE courses and programs help engage students in their education by focusing on concrete, in-demand skills and providing students with opportunities to see those skills being applied in the workforce.

At Edmentum, we’re passionate about advancing Career and Technical Education, and we’re showing it through our dedication to continuing improving and expanding our library of high-quality CTE courses. So, just what does CTE encompass? And why do we feel so strongly about its importance? These statistics from Advance CTE and ACTE speak for themselves!

Defining CTE

16 – Number of Career Clusters® that CTE courses prepare students for, including Architecture & Construction, Business Management & Administration, Health Science, Information Technology, and Manufacturing

79+ – Number of individual career pathways within the National Career Clusters® framework, including Accounting, Health Informatics, Programming & Software Development, Logistics & Inventory Control, and Engineering & Technology

46 – Number of states that have state-approved secondary CTE standards

23 – Number of states with policies in place to foster CTE-employer partnership programs

94% – Percentage of high school students currently enrolled in some type of CTE course or program

The Importance of CTE

>80% – Percentage of manufacturing companies who report a shortage in skilled workers with CTE-related training

315,000 – Number of job openings in skilled manufacturing

1,019,000 – Number of job openings in the trade, transportation, and utilities sector which require CTE-trained candidates

12 – Number of healthcare occupations addressed by CTE that are included in the list of 20 fastest-growing occupations

How CTE is making a difference

90.18% –Average high school graduation rate for students concentrating in CTE programs, compared to the national average freshman graduation rate of 80%. It’s estimated that this saves our economy $168 billion per year.

80% – Percentage of students enrolled in CTE-focused college preparatory programs who met college and career readiness goals, compared to only 63% of students taking the same academic core without a rigorous CTE component 

81% - Percentage of high school drop outs who report real-world learning opportunities (like those provided by CTE) would have kept them in school

75% – Percentage of high school students concentrating in a CTE discipline who pursue post-secondary education

43% – Percentage of young workers holding a CTE-related license or certificate who earn more than those holding an associate degree

$9,000 – Average amount more per year that students with a CTE-related associate’s degree or certificate earn, compared to those with a humanities or social science credential

$16.40 – The return on each public dollar invested in Connecticut community colleges and their CTE programs over the course of students’ careers

$9.1 Billion – Annual income Los Angeles County’s economy receives from Los Angeles Community College District and its graduates and students

Career and Technical Education programs are doing great things to bring the classroom into the 21^st century and improve student achievement. Edmentum is proud to be a part of this movement with our industry-leading offering of over 100 CTE courses, with even more new courses coming this fall! Want to see the power of CTE in action? Check out this video to find out how Keller ISD is targeting student interests with their outstanding CTE program!