“Parents should encourage their children to participate in Career Tech Education (CTE).”

That’s the data-driven message coming from the National Parent Teacher Association and the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). They’ve released a new infographic summarizing different research findings which all cast positive light on the value of CTE. The facts demonstrates how CTE can help every student develop the 21st century skills they need to reach their full potential in college and career.
Below is the data they highlighted.

ACADEMIC & COLLEGE SUCCESS

  • 80 percent of high school students taking both CTE and college prep courses meet college and career readiness goals, versus 63% who are college and career ready through college prep courses alone (Southern Regional Education Board).
  • 600,000+ high school students enroll in dual credit CTE courses to earn college credit (Thomas et al. 2013, NCES).

CAREER PLANNING

  • 6 out of 10 students plan to pursue a career related to the CTE area they’re exploring in high school (NRCCUA and ACTE 2016).
  • Students enrolled in CTE courses are significantly more likely to develop problem-solving, project completion, research, communication, time management and critical thinking skills during high school(Lekes et al. 2007, National Research Center for CTE).

EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS

  • 36 percent of STEM jobs require postsecondary credentials that CTE students can obtain within two years of high school graduation. (Rothwell 2013, Brookings Institution).
  • Graduates with technical or applied science associate degrees can out-earn bachelor’s degree holders by $11,000.6 (Schneider 2013, College Measures).

SCHOOL AND JOB SATISFACTION

  • 81 percent of high school dropouts say relevant, real-world learning opportunities, like CTE, would have kept them in school. (Bridgeland et al. 2006, Civic Enterprises).
  • Graduates are twice as likely to be engaged at work if they had a meaningful internship or job while in college (Gallup-Purdue Index report).