· February is Career and Technical Education Month which is an annual public awareness campaign to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country.

· Career and technical education is the practice of teaching specific tech-based and career-oriented skills to students.

· The bulk of career and technical education consists of hands-on experience, practice and application tests which provides CTE students with useful experience before they start their careers.

· Career and technology-based education helps individuals be more than just average students.

· This type of education provides key skills needed to succeed in life: technical, academic, and employability skills.

· Additionally, career and technical education helps students see how what they are learning applies to the needs of employers.

· Students whose learning experiences include integrated academic and CTE curricula are well prepared for postsecondary education and equipped to compete in today’s tough labor market.

Why is Career and Technical Education important?

· At the high school level, CTE provides students with opportunities to explore a career theme of interest while learning a set of technical and employability skills that integrate into or complement their academic studies.

· High school CTE is meant to connect with and lead to postsecondary programs of study or additional training after high school, which may include more specialized technical instruction.

· These pathways culminate in postsecondary degrees or certificates, apprenticeships, or employment.

· CTE offers a diverse delivery system that provides students with leadership opportunities in a variety of career fields, allowing for the rigorous and relevant application of workplace skills while incorporating reading, writing, and mathematics.

· Through CTE classes, students can earn college credit, industry certification, and licenses in high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand fields, as aligned with Michigan’s strategic education plan to expand secondary learning opportunities for all students and increase the percentage of adults with a post-secondary credential.

What can you tell me about Career and Technical Education in Michigan?

· Michigan continues to experience a skills gap.

· 54 percent of jobs in Michigan require skills training – more education than high school but less than a four-year degree.

· 48 percent of Michigan workers are trained at this level.

· Career and technical education programs can fill these gaps, particularly in Michigan’s key industries, like advanced manufacturing, mobility and automotive manufacturing, technology, and engineering design and development.

· Many students are already enrolled in CTE in Michigan, developing technical, academic, and employable skills, and engaging in work-based experiences with industry partners.

· During the 2019-20 school year, MIchigan had 97,407 secondary CTE participants and 52,784 post-secondary participants.

· Additionally, 25,987 individuals in Michigan earned post-secondary credentials.

· Career and technical education in Michigan prepare students at the secondary and postsecondary levels to have the academic, technical, and work-behavior skills to enter, compete, and advance in education and throughout their careers.

· CTE provides students with work-based learning experiences to provide Michigan with a highly-skilled, sustainable workforce, which will help achieve the state’s goal of reaching 60 percent postsecondary educational attainment rate by 2030.

How can our listeners help promote the importance of Career and Technical Education Month?

· More investment is needed to scale CTE programs across the state to ensure that all learners, including historically underserved learners, have access to quality CTE programs in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand career fields.

· During this month, the Michigan Works! Association joins with the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, and the Michigan Association for Career and Technical Education to encourage youths and adults in Michigan to be ambassadors for career and technical education and to send the message that Michigan career and technical education students are prepared for the 21st century high-wage, high-skilled, and in-demand jobs, a key component in making Michigan a Top 10 education state.

How can our listeners learn more about the Michigan Works! Association and the Michigan Works! network?

· You can visit our website at michiganworks.org to learn more about the Association.

· On the Association website you will also find a map that will link you to the websites of each of our Michigan Works! organizations.