Career & Technical Education

94%

CTE serves 94% of all high school students of all races genders, and economic backgrounds.

90%

The average high school graduation rate for CTE students is 90.18%, compared to an average national freshman graduation rate of 74.9%.

70%

More than 70% of secondary CTE concentrators pursued post-secondary education after high school.

CTE Works for Business

CTE addresses the needs of high-growth industries and helps close the skills gap. With 726,000 open jobs in the trade, transportation and utilities sector and 256,000 open jobs in manufacturing they are the hardest jobs to fill in the United States. This is where CTE comes in.

12 of the 20 fastest growing occupations are in health care and only require an associate degree.
STEM occupations will experience faster than average job growth and only require an associate degree.
30% of the 55 million job openings created by 2020 will require some college or a two-year associate degree.

More Key CTE Statistics

In the 2010-2011 school year, there were 7,494,042 secondary CTE participants, or students who took at least 1 credit of CTE, and 3,020,163 CTE concentrators who took multiple CTE credits in one career pathway.
In 2009, high school graduates earned an average of 3.6 credits in CTE.
The number of students taking a few credits of CTE across multiple career fields has increased, showing a convergence in academics and CTE due to increased academic coursetaking.
In 2002, 88% of public high schools offered at least one CTE program with 1,200 high schools in 41 states served by area career centers.

Career and Technical Education Subject Areas:

Accounting
Automotive Mechanics Technology
Biotechnology
Commercial Art
Computer Information Technology

Construction Trades
Culinary Arts
Early Childhood Education
Health Professions
Homeland Security
Engineering and Robotics

Precision Metalworking
Welding Technology
Work-based Learning Experience

Penn College NOW

Penn College NOW is a dual enrollment program which allows students to take college courses while in high school.

11th and 12th grade students are eligible to participate (limited classes available to 10th graders or designated for seniors only)
Courses are taught at the high school or career and technology center by Penn College approved high school instructors
Penn College NOW is free

How to enroll

To enroll in a Penn College NOW course, the student must pass the Penn College reading placement test to be administered at your school. Courses also require that students meet any pre- or co-requisites required for the individual course.

Earn college credit

Penn College NOW credits and course grades appear on a Penn College transcript and may be applied toward specific Penn College degrees or transferred to other postsecondary institutions. The extent to which the credits will transfer to another college or university is at the discretion of that college or university.