Career and Technical Education (CTE) provides high school students across the country with the skills needed to properly prepare them for college and put them in position for rewarding careers. Students in CTE programs in every community receive the technical, academic, and employability skills needed to be successful in an ever-changing job market, as well as in life. 

What are the benefits of attending a CTE program? 

• Pathways leading to further education, certifications, and viable careers through active partnerships within the industry
• Students involved in CTE are far less likely to drop out of high school than other students, a difference estimated to save the economy $168 billion each year (Association for Career and Technical Education)
• Over 75 percent of students taking a concentration of CTE courses enroll in postsecondary education after graduating high school (United State Department of Education)
• CTE students are significantly more likely to say they developed problem-solving, project completion, research, math, college application, work-related, communication, time management, and critical thinking skills during high school (Wisconsin Technical Colleges)

The Center for Technology, Essex offers 33 different Industry Recognized Credentials (IRC) to the nearly 400 students that it welcomes from 20 different partner schools in the state. During the 2019-20 school year:

• 80% of eligible students earned at least one IRC
• 82% were placed in a Career Work Experience
• 29 were placed in paid CO-OP Placements
• 108 students or 32% of eligible students earned college credits

February is National Career & Technical Education Month and we are celebrating by spotlighting some of our students! 

In their own words, here are what current CTE students have to say: 

• “CTE is helping me get better grades and care about school more.” -Demi
• “CTE is helping me plan out my future and helping me prepare for college.” -Dahabo
• “CTE is giving me the hands-on experience to be successful!” -Porsche
• “CTE is giving me industry-specific learning opportunities.” -Jaxon
• “CTE is in-depth and hands-on education.” -Francis
• “CTE has prepared me for college by having the right resources and teachers and is setting me up for success in college and the workforce.” - Malachi

The application ‘priority deadline’ is set for March 5, but CTE will be accepting applications after that - space dependent. For information about Center for Technology, Essex visit go-cte.org