We can learn a great deal from European CTE models, specifically Germany’s system and supporting students and the workforce. Several pieces are adaptable for Pennsylvania’s practices to build a robust CTE system, including improving career exploration and planning by elevating CTE in earlier grades, supporting partnerships between CTE and the business community, and increasing the use of pre-apprenticeship programs. However, we can only be successful with adequate state funding increases for basic education and career and technical education.
This fact sheet highlights current challenges for career and technical education and why we need increased state investments in our state budget’s basic education funding and CTE subsidy lines: to promote greater access to programming, restore the workforce, and boost our state economy.
Career and technical education (CTE) is a critical part of delivering the quality education students deserve from their public schools. However, a lack of sustained investments in CTE funding, and more broadly, basic education funding, has caused limited access for students who wish to enter the workforce immediately following graduation.
Career and Technical Education: Setting the Standard in Pennsylvania, explores how CTE funding is structured in other states and makes recommendations for how Pennsylvania can set the standard for education to workforce preparedness, while acknowledging the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Career and technical education (CTE) is a critical part of delivering the quality education students deserve from their public schools. However, a lack of sustained investments in CTE funding, and more broadly, basic education funding, has caused limited access for students who wish to enter the workforce immediately following graduation.
