WHAT IS CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE)?

CTE courses, put simply, are the classes that teach students real world skills to prepare them for work in industry. Watch this short video to hear student, parent, educator and business and industry perspectives on the value of CTE. In the TRCES region CTE classes fall into the following categories:

Agriculture/Horticulture

Automotive Technology/Auto Body Repair

Business, Marketing and Computer Education

Culinary Arts

Early Childhood Education

Fashion and Clothing

Fire Science/Emergency Medical Technician

Graphic Communication

Health Occupations

Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice

Technology and Engineering Education (Industrial)

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WHY IS CTE IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS?

Read about successful high school CTE graduates in the CTE Graduate Profile.

Students enrolled in CTE courses learn marketable skills, earn industry certifications and degrees, and have meaningful work-based learning experiences that will help them find gainful employment. CTE courses are hands on classes that use industry standard equipment and practices. Studies show that CTE students are more satisfied with their education and have lower drop out rates.

CTE students in the TRCES region can earn industry credentials and education benefits, participate in skill building workshops and competitions, and connect with business and industry.

Industry Credentials & Education Benefits

OPPORTUNITIES IN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Career and Technical Education (CTE) students are diverse. More and more non-traditional students are taking CTE classes. Listen to their inspiring stories of success in CTE.

Review Illinois career opportunities including growth, wages, future outlook and local employers with your student using the Illinois State Board of Education Career Guide.

College is not the only pathway to success in a CTE field. The illustration below demonstrates the earning potential of careers in the skilled trades where learning and earning go hand-in-hand.

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?

YOUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL

The counseling department at your local high school, is an excellent place to find information regarding all the CTE classes available at a school. Larger high schools often have a CTE department head. This educator works with all the CTE departments in the school and can help students find the classes that will teach them the skills they wish to learn.

THE INTERNET

The Association for Career and Technical Education is also a great resource for parents, students and educators. The website has scholarly articles and studies that detail the benefits of CTE classes.

Advance CTE is also an excellent site with a resource center which contains links to articles, reports and state-by-state program information.

YOUR LOCAL EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT (EFE) AGENCY

EFEs receive and distribute Federal and State grant funding to Career and Technical Education programs in regional high schools. EFEs work hand-in-hand with the administrators, educators and students in a select geographic area to support CTE programs. EFEs distribute funds to improve CTE programs, provide professional development for educators, offer career exploration opportunities for students and grow connections with business and industry. TRCES is an EFE and the TRCES website has information on local professional development, student events and other resources relating to local CTE classes and programming.

A full list of EFEs in Illinois can be found here.

This table is from page 16 of the full report “The Apprenticeship Alternative.”