California's Career Technical Education (CTE) programs are built on state-approved standards that help students learn both academic knowledge and real-world career skills. These standards were first created in 2005 and are designed for students in grades 7–12. They cover 15 different career areas, called industry sectors, and include 58 career pathway options that students can explore.

In 2008, California released a plan called A Bridge to the Future to guide the growth of CTE programs. This plan emphasized that CTE needs to keep up with changes in the workplace and that teachers need to continue learning and updating their lessons to reflect what’s happening in today’s jobs. As schools began using Common Core State Standards in English and math, it became important to update the CTE standards so they matched the new academic expectations.