High School students who were enrolled in three or more CTE credits have lower unemployment rates and more access to health insurance and retirement benefits than students who took less than three CTE credits, reports the Institute for Education Science in Labor Market Outcomes for High School Career and Technical Education Participants. This data comes from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 which focuses on high school Freshman in 2009 and includes three follow-up data collections in 2012, 2013 and 2016. The report compares students three years after their High School graduations that were not currently enrolled in a postsecondary program.
Though the researchers did not find that CTE participation led to greater participation in the labor force, they did find that students who earned three or more CTE credits had lower unemployment rates compared to students who took less than three CTE credits. Students who took three or more CTE credits had an unemployment rate of 11%, while students who took 1.00-2.99 credits had an unemployment rate of 16% and students who took 0.00-0.99 CTE credits had an unemployment rate of 23%.
Other findings show that the level of CTE participation does not have a significant effect on job satisfaction or pay, but CTE participation does positively affect access to health insurance and retirement benefits. 43% of students who earned three or more CTE credits received health insurance and retirement benefits, compared to 35% of students who earned 2.00-2.99 CTE credits and 33% of students who earned 0.00-1.99 CTE credits. This is an indication of higher-quality jobs and higher overall compensation for students who concentrate in CTE.
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