It is well known that an increasing percentage of graduating high school seniors are entering college. A Bureau of Labor Statistics review showed that college enrollment increased from 45% to 70% of high school graduates between 1959 and 2009. Academic college preparation of high schools students has been very successful.
Surprisingly, however, high schools are also doing an increasingly better job of preparing students to enter the work force directly after graduation by providing impressive programs of Career and Technical Education (CTE). The most recent Final Report from the National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) revealed that 96.6% of high school students take at least one CTE course. Many students take four or more CTE courses as they find a field where they may want to start a career.
The range of CTE courses that a student can take is very large. It includes categories such as food, agriculture, construction trades, architecture, audio/video technology, business, finance, public administration, health science, cosmetology, culinary arts, tourism, public safety, marketing, engineering and math, transportation, automotive, and manufacturing. According to the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, the number of students enrolled in CTE programs rose 160% between 1999 and 2005.
Studies have shown some interesting benefits of CTE programs in the schools. For one, the 2004 NAVE Final Report showed that students who took CTE courses increased their reading and math scores on a standardized test greater than students who took no CTE coursework. Other studies have shown that CTE students have a lower high school dropout rate than average. Further, the National Center for Education Statistics found that CTE students who went on to post high school education did very well. In pursuing two-year degrees or certifications, CTE students were more likely than their general peers to receive their degree within two years.
Financially, CTE students are very successful. A 2001 Russell Sage Foundation study showed that CTE graduates are 10% to 15% more likely to be in the work force and earn 8% to 9% more than their peers who took academic programs only. The NAVE Final Report found that students who took four CTE courses in high school earned an average of $1200 more after graduation than their academic peers and $1800 more seven years later.
In summary, many high school students are being well prepared academically to go on to colleges and universities, but those who do not are also given the opportunity to prepare for a wide range of careers and vocations directly out of high school. Career and technical education has grown and expanded since its modest beginnings and now presents a major opportunity to America’s students.
