Career, Technical, & Agricultural Education

How does CTAE support each child's learning?

• CTAE is a student centered program that fosters career inspiration in PreK-2, career awareness in elementary school, career visualization in middle school and career preparation in high school. CTAE philosophy.

• The program provides the interdisciplinary and technical skills to every student focused on attaining the knowledge and abilities that businesses and industries desire for in-demand, high-skill, high wage occupations.

• CTAE is designed to provide students with competencies to make them aware of and prepared to pursue further education or successfully enter a related career field

• A major goal of CTAE is college and career readiness.

• Department information and location.

What can a parent or guardian do at home to support their child's CTAE experiences?

• Parents can learn about CTAE career clusters and pathways and guide their child’s education, and future career, to align the child's interests and aptitudes with courses offered through CTAE

• Parents can reinforce the importance of soft skills taught in CTAE courses, and essential to success in the workforce: teamwork, effective communication, problem-solving, time management, leadership, creativity, wearing appropriate attire to work, work ethics and more.

What other departments or programs support students' classroom to career journey?

• In the classroom, students learn concepts and theories dealing with a broad spectrum of topics related to the particular career cluster area of study. This instruction is followed by application in the laboratory. “Hands-on” skills are reinforced through participation in Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) and Work-Based Learning programs. 

• Dual Enrollment and post-secondary options offer students an opportunity to gain college credit while taking courses in high school.

How do the different career cluster areas and pathways remain current in preparing students for college, careers and the workforce?

• Each career cluster area has an advisory board consisting of representatives from the community, business and industry. Advisory board members provide valuable information such as knowledge and skills industry needs. 

• Industry Certification - This process involves the establishment of standards by a recognized certification agency and then a process whereby schools can validate that their educational program meets these standards.

• Continued collaboration with business and industry partnerships is essential to ensuring students are receiving the best education and developing necessary skills to be successful in post-secondary education and entry into the workforce immediately out of high school. 

• Workforce Innovators focus on developing business partnerships and arranging different connections between industry and students. Connections include: field trips (career visioning) for students in different career areas, guest speakers and career days.

How does the Work-Based Learning program benefit students in graduating and after graduation?

• Work-Based Learning students leave school (typically during the last block of classes), go to work, earn income and gain course credit.

•  Students gain valuable work experience and marketable skills while in high school, that align their course-work with current and future workforce demands.