Day Six: The case for career-technical education

So why career-technical education?  Because the facts speak for themselves:

• CTE students achieve academic success. According to the research cited in an Association of Career-Technical Education (ACTE) fact sheet, students at schools with highly integrated rigorous academic and CTE programs have significantly higher student achievement in reading, mathematics and science than do students at schools with less integrated programs
• CTE students experience increases in earnings. A 2004 study showed that students who took four high school CTE courses showed an average increase in earnings of $1,200 immediately after graduation and $1,800 seven years later.  Also, secondary students who graduate with a career and technical education concentration are 2 ½ times more likely to be employed while pursuing postsecondary education than are “college prep” students
• CTE students achieve postsecondary success. Career and technical education (CTE) students enter postsecondary education at approximately the same rate as all high school graduates debunking the myth that by choosing to attend a career-tech school means you can't go to college. Studies also show that students who were in CTE programs in high school have better college attendance and are more likely to actually obtain their degree

So why does career-tech remain such a mystery and secret and why do people still associate it with the "vocational" schools of the past?  Vocational education has changed significantly and transformed into career technical education, providing high-quality academic opportunities combined with strong career training, which better prepares students for life after high school. According to an ACTE fact sheet, the federal role in “vocational” education began as a way to prepare students for the newly industrialized workplace. The program has since changed to match the needs of the changing economy, focusing on postsecondary as well as secondary education while giving students skills they can use throughout their careers.  In 2006, the language “vocational and technical” was updated to “career and technical” education. This transition was more than just name change. It represented a fundamental shift in philosophy from CTE being for those who were not going to college to a system that prepares students for both employment and postsecondary education. The integration of academic and technical education programs was strengthened, further emphasizing the goal of ensuring that students who participate in CTE are taught the same igorous content aligned with challenging academic standards as all other students, according to the ACTE.

At Ohio Hi-Point the impact is evident is our student body and increased enrollment as more and more students and their parents realize the impact of earning college credits while in high school which can result in cost-savings on tuition.  Students and parents also realize the impact of earning industry certifications and being able to work in career fields that are viable, meaning they are careers that are still in demand, needing employees. 

A few examples of this:

• Ryan Cole, a 2005 graduate of Ohio Hi-Point who studied in the Diesel Technology program, won the National SkillsUSA gold medal in Kansas City and received a full scholarship to Purdue University, where he studied and graduated with a degree in engineering
• Andrew Deans was a 2005 graduate of the Information Technology program and carried more than 30 college credits with him to Clark State Community College, which gave him advanced standing and saved him money
• Breigh-Ann Zimmerman, a 2006 graduate, chose to come to OHP for Cosmetology knowing she wanted to go to college for radiology.  Why? By entering the Cosmetology program she knew she could get her state license and then would be able to work her way through college as a hair stylist (going to school to get licensed after high school can sometimes cost as much as $20,000).  Zimmerman enrolled in Rhodes State College

CTE is not what is was in the past.  It engages high school students in hands-on learning with state-of-the-art technology and rigorous academics and has become the model for what high school education should be doing to prepare students for the future.

Want to learn more?

• More facts and research on the benefits of CTE at the ACTE website
• View Ohio Hi-Point's college credit agreements and see how much credit you can earn by program
• Visit our website and explore our programs