Breaking Down Silos: How CTE Programs Can Connect Learning to Careers
The Hook Walk into most high schools and you will find two parallel universes: the academic wing and the CTE wing. Students move between them, but the systems rarely connect.…
Posted inEducational Resources
How Philadelphia CTE Instructors Can Build Project-Based Learning Units That End in Industry Credentials
When HVAC students at a Philadelphia career and technical education center kept struggling with the EPA Section 608 refrigerant handling certification exam, their CTE instructor realized that the traditional lecture-and-quiz…
Posted inCTE News
National Apprenticeship Week 2026 Shifts to Spring — What It Means for Pennsylvania’s CTE-to-Apprenticeship Pipeline
For the first time since its inception in 2015, National Apprenticeship Week moved from its traditional November slot to a spring date in 2026, running April 26 through May 2…
Posted inEducational Resources
Ten Project-Based Learning Ideas That Build Real Credentials in Philadelphia CTE Programs
A cosmetology student at a Philadelphia career and technical education center doesn't just practice on a mannequin head — she runs a functioning salon one day a week, taking real…
Posted inEducational Resources
PLTW Partners with CompTIA to Bring Security+ Certification into High School Cybersecurity Labs
When students at Philadelphia's career and technical education cybersecurity programs log into their labs next fall, they could be working toward the same industry credential that employers use to screen…
Posted inEducational Resources
Before You Buy a Single Piece of Equipment: How Philadelphia CTE Programs Get Launch-Ready
When Philadelphia's School District greenlit a new advanced manufacturing pathway at Randolph Career Academy, administrators didn't start by shopping for CNC machines. They started with a question: What do local…
Posted inCTE News Legislative News National CTE News
Iowa Shows What Scale Looks Like: 70% of High Schoolers Now in CTE
The Lead Nearly 70% of Iowa high school students — more than 107,000 teenagers — participated in career and technical education during the 2024-25 school year, according to a new…
Posted inEducational Resources
How to Validate CTE Skills With Authentic Performance Assessment
The Problem CTE programs exist to prepare students for careers that require hands-on skills — welding a joint to code, diagnosing an engine fault, preparing a restaurant-quality dish, reading a…
Posted inCTE News
Governors Double Down on CTE: Rhode Island Proposes First $50M Workforce Bond
The Lead Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee has proposed a $50 million bond referendum — the state's first bond dedicated specifically to career and technical education — to fund new…
Posted inEducational Resources
How to Build an Industry Advisory Board That Actually Shapes Your CTE Program
Most CTE programs have an industry advisory board on paper. Far fewer have one that meaningfully shapes curriculum, opens doors for students, and holds the program accountable for producing graduates…