What is CTE?
Real skills. Real experiences. Real futures. CTE brings learning to life by combining academics with hands-on, real-world experiences that mirror today's workforce.
A National Movement
Connect learning to life after high school
Nationwide, Career Technical Education (CTE) programs are changing, evolving, and innovating to better serve the country's needs. CTE is preparing students of all ages to help drive America's success and vitality.
Career Technical Education prepares both youth and adults for a wide range of careers. These careers require varying levels of education — from high school and postsecondary certificates to apprenticeships, or two- and four-year college degrees.
Students add value to their overall education by completing CTE programs of study that provide opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials and college credit while still in high school.
Today's cutting-edge, rigorous, and relevant career and technical education prepares youth and adults for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers. Learn more with ACTE and their Basic Facts and State Fact Sheets resources.
See CTE in Action
Discover how CTE is transforming education and creating pathways to real careers across America.
See how CTE programs are preparing students for high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers.
Explore how career and technical education creates real opportunities for students nationwide.
CTE at ACCESS
ACCESS CTE programs are designed to expand access and remove barriers so all students can explore meaningful career pathways.
Every lesson connects to real skills. Students build, create, and produce — putting knowledge into action through authentic projects.
From industry tours and guest speakers to mentorship and work-based learning — students see careers up close.
With six distinct pathways, students can explore diverse fields and discover what excites them most.
Play & Learn
CTE builds both. Can you sort each skill into the right category? Tap a skill, then tap where it belongs.
Beyond the Classroom
Learning by doing — students take part in experiences that connect education to real opportunities.
Explore Pathways
Design, video, UX, creative tech
Teaching, mentoring, child development
Food service, hospitality, entrepreneurship
Coding, design, competitive gaming
Aviation, mapping, unmanned systems
Carpentry, building, skilled trades