CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

ACTE and Crossland High School Host Annual CTE Month School Visit

On February 25, ACTE partnered with Crossland High School to host the annual 2025 CTE Month School Visit. Crossland is the CTE Hub in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and is home to 19 CTE programs ranging from Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology to Arts, Media and Communication.  

The visit included welcoming remarks from Superintendent Millard House II, Crossland Principal Michael Gilchrist and ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Curry. It was attended by Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Board Members, local and national CTE advocacy groups and other stakeholders. Following these remarks, student ambassadors guided guests through in-depth tours to see the various CTE classrooms and programs that Crossland has to offer. 

Attendees were escorted to classrooms that showcased programs in IT and engineering , carpentry, automotive, nursing, electrical, culinary arts and more. Teachers welcomed guests into their classrooms to hear about what the students are working on at this point in the academic year, as well as long-term projects such as house construction and electrical work, restoring vehicles and building their own computers. Crossland students and faculty demonstrated the value of hands-on education and spoke with visitors about the valuable opportunities available to their students, including apprenticeships, internships and industry certifications.

Following these tours, guests reconvened to observe a student panel featuring seniors at Crossland in various career pathways. Students discussed how they chose their pathways and the goals they hoped to achieve after Crossland, some looking to pursue four-year colleges and others working to start their own businesses to give back to their community and families.  

Students were also able to voice their needs and expectations for the future of their programs. Access to materials for English learners, increased awareness for their programs and extensions of programs to help students learn not only what is required of them to work in their field, but what is necessary to help them thrive were among these requests. This insightful panel was followed by a networking reception, catered by the students in Crossland’s culinary program. 

ACTE is grateful for the commitment and collaboration with Crossland High School in hosting this thoughtful event in celebration of CTE Month. Specifically, ACTE extends heartfelt thanks to Crossland Principal Michael Gilchrist, CTE Assistant Principal Greer Bacchus, PGCPS CTE Director Pamela Smith, PGCPS CTE District Administrator Regina Spruill and PGCPS CTE Career Support Coordinator Karla Laney. ACTE also extends a warm thank-you to our generous sponsor for this event, the National Association of Homebuilders.  

Advance CTE Releases Modernized Career Clusters Framework

This week, Advance CTE released its modernized Career Clusters® Framework, which is designed to serve as a bridge between education and work and a central building block for consistently designed and high-quality CTE programs, and accompanying resources to support implementation. The updated Framework consists of 14 Clusters and 72 Sub-Clusters to serve as the primary organizing structures for CTE programs:

Advanced Manufacturing	Healthcare & Human Services
Construction	Public Service & Safety
Supply Chain & Transportation	Agriculture
Arts, Entertainment & Design	Energy & Natural Resources
Hospitality, Events & Tourism	Digital Technology
Financial Services	Marketing & Sales
Education	Management & Entrepreneurship

No field has been eliminated from the Framework, though some have been shifted into other Career Clusters, combined with other industry sectors, or renamed. Major changes include the following:

• Energy has been merged with Natural Resources into a new, realigned Career Cluster.
• Information Technology has been expanded and renamed to Digital Technology.
• STEM has been eliminated and these dimensions spread across multiple Clusters.
• Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security and Government & Public Administration have been combined into Public Service & Safety.
• The Health Sciences & Human Services Career Clusters have been combined into the Healthcare & Human Services Cluster.
• Three Clusters – Digital Technology, Marketing & Sales, and Management & Entrepreneurship –are designated as both standalone Clusters and as Cross-cutting Clusters that provide skills and prepare learners for careers relevant across industries and sectors.
• The Clusters and Sub-Clusters include new technologies such as automation and robotics, clean and alternative energy, and artificial intelligence and unmanned vehicles.

It will be up to each state how it uses the new Framework. While most states used the previous iteration in some form, variations were made to reflect the needs of states and local communities. States may adopt the new Framework in whole or in part or decide to use it in different ways.

One policy implication of the new Framework is for federal reporting. The U.S. Department of Education will require states to align Perkins data with the modernized Framework starting with the 2025-26 academic year and submit data for the federal Perkins Consolidated Annual Report (CAR) starting in January 2027. This will not necessarily require any programmatic changes but rather cross-walking current programs to the new Clusters for reporting on student enrollment and performance.

To support implementation, Advance CTE has developed a suite of resources, including explainers, messaging tools, and a crosswalk listing each Career Cluster and Sub-Cluster with corresponding North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Standard Occupational Classification System (SOC) and Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes. The organization will also be providing ongoing implementation support.

The modernization of the Framework has been a two-year process, incorporating feedback from more than 4,000 people across state and local secondary and postsecondary leaders, employers, national organizations including educator groups and career technical student organizations, CTE instructors, and other partners.

Updated Resources: Education & Training and Hospitality & Tourism Sector Sheets

Today ACTE published CTE: Developing the Education & Training Workforce and CTE: Developing the Hospitality & Tourism Workforce as part of our revamped series of Sector Sheets describing CTE’s role in growing the workforce for vital industry sectors. The Sector Sheet series is published with support from ACTE's long-time partner Pearson.  

The Education & Training Sector Sheet describes how CTE supports this workforce, which employs more than 8 million people nationwide supporting preschool through adult learners, while the Hospitality & Tourism Sector Sheet describes CTE’s role in preparing individuals to work in travel and tourism, hotels and lodging, and restaurant fields.

The Sector Sheets share information on occupations, earnings and credentials that enable individuals to succeed in these sectors. And demonstrate the importance of CTE in developing these workforces by describing how CTE prepares learners through courses, industry credentials, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and more. 

Both the newer and older Sector Sheets are available on the ACTE Sector Sheet webpage for download and use. We encourage you to share these tools with students, families, counselors, policymakers and others to spread the message about CTE and its benefits for learners and the workforce. 

Updated Resource: Financial Services Sector Sheet

Today ACTE published CTE: Developing the Financial Services Workforce as part of our revamped series of Sector Sheets describing CTE’s role in growing the workforce for vital industry sectors. The Sector Sheet series is published with support from ACTE's long-time partner Pearson.  

This Sector Sheet describes how CTE supports the financial services workforce, which employs more than 7.2 million people nationwide. It also shares information on occupations, earnings and credentials that enable individuals to succeed in accounting and business finance, securities and investments, and insurance.

In addition, the Sector Sheet demonstrates the importance of CTE in developing this workforce by describing how CTE prepares learners through courses, industry credentials, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and more. 

Both the newer and older Sector Sheets are available on the ACTE Sector Sheet webpage for download and use. We encourage you to share these tools with students, families, counselors, policymakers and others to spread the message about CTE and its benefits for learners and the workforce.  

More Resources: Maximizing Access & Success for Special Populations

ACTE and Advance CTE have released the second set in a new series of joint publications that address how to support each of the nine Perkins V special populations and other underserved learner groups.

The Maximizing Access & Success for Special Populations in CTE series features strategies, reflection questions and case studies for supporting each special population as well as other learner groups that have been a focus of state and local support. 

Part II, released last week, features briefs on supporting the following populations: 

• Learners with disabilities
• English learners
• Economically disadvantaged learners
• Learners experiencing homelessness
• Military-connected learners
• Single parents

These publications join the first briefs in this series, including an introduction as well as briefs on nontraditional learners, foster youth and out-of-workforce individuals.

A final set of briefs describing how to support additional populations will be released in March.

Updated Resource: Aerospace and Defense Sector Sheet

ACTE has released CTE: Developing the Aerospace and Defense Workforce, the latest in our revamped series of Sector Sheets describing CTE’s role in growing the workforce for vital industry sectors. The Sector Sheet series is published with support from ACTE's long-time partner Pearson.  

These revised Sector Sheets include job opportunities in each sector and descriptions of how CTE prepares learners for the workforce in each sector, all in a new format featuring more streamlined text and additional graphics to make these advocacy tools even more effective. 

This Sector Sheet describes how CTE supports the aerospace and defense workforce, which employs more than 2.2 million people nationwide and supports commercial, military and national defense activities. It also shares information on occupations, earnings and credentials that enable individuals to enter and progress within fields such as commercial aerospace, cyber systems and unmanned systems. Finally, the Sector Sheet demonstrates the importance of CTE in developing this workforce by describing how CTE prepares learners through courses, industry credentials, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and more. 

As we move forward with the revamped Sector Sheets, both the newer and older Sector Sheets will remain available on the ACTE Sector Sheet webpage for download and use. We encourage you to share these tools with students, families, counselors, policymakers and others to spread the message about CTE and its benefits for learners and the workforce.  

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Holds Hearing on AI and the Workforce

On January 17th, the House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Government Innovation held a hearing entitled “Toward an AI Ready Workforce.” Witnesses included Dr. William L. Scherlis, Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University; Timi Hadra, Client Partner and Sr. Executive for West Virginia at IBM; and Costis Toregas, Director of the GWU Cybersecurity and Privacy Research Institute. 

Chairwoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) and Ranking Member Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11) opened the hearing with statements on AI both in the United States and abroad, noting the importance of strengthening the use of AI in the workforce and the benefits that could come of this. Specifically, Connolly noted that now is not the time to replace the workforce with AI, rather it is the time to prepare current and future generations of the workforce on how to best work with AI.  

Almost immediately, Mace raised the question of AI-related education options and affective alternatives to undergraduate and graduate degrees, in order to prepare the workforce to be AI ready. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) also asked the witnesses how they can help private industries understand the curriculum needed for career preparedness, to which they provided examples of programs their respective schools and organizations provide. Scherlis shared that what he knew to be most effective was a direct working partnership with the workforce and education systems, pointing out that when the education system is aware of workforce needs in relation to AI, they can tailor the education they provide to those needs. Scherlis concluded his response on a strong point, noting that, “We collaborate with industry so that these programs can be tailored to local needs of local employers.” 

Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) pressed further on the issue of alternative AI education opportunities for those who don’t want four-year degrees. Scherlis emphasized again that in working with employers, employees and community colleges, workforce needs can be met through various educational pathways. Langworthy and the witnesses also discussed how to best “tear the paper ceiling,” which Langworthy explained as the “invisible barrier that comes at every turn for the 70 million workers who are STARs.” STARs (skilled through alternative routes) are often screened out in hiring processes because they do not possess four-year degrees. The witnesses pressed once again on the importance of outreach to students on alternative pathways, and Hadra shared one solution IBM is working on in this area, which is to provide opportunities for apprenticeships in the field that are registered with the Department of Labor, and therefore become industry standard. 

Another pressing issue, raised by Rep. Steven Lynch (D-MA) is the shortage of STEM qualified teachers who are ready to work with and teach AI programs. This was addressed by Toregas, who touched on what interests him as an educator as well as the importance of building a network of educators, corroborated by Hadra who informed the committee of IBM’s investments in teachers and adult learners, providing another space for them to grow and network together.  

House Oversight Committee Holds Hearing on Community Colleges and Apprenticeships

On October 25, the House Oversight and Accountability subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs held the hearing titled, “The Power of Apprenticeships: Faster, Better Paths to Prosperous Jobs and Less Waste in Higher Education.” This hearing discussed ways to draw more youth into exploring career options through CTE, apprenticeships and other work-based learning models.  

Those testifying were: 

• Paul Winfree, President and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center 
• Erin Davis Valdez, Policy Director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation 
• Casey Sacks, President of Bridge Valley Community and Technical College (and former Deputy Assistant Secretary at OCTAE) 
• Tony Ewing, President of Advanced Fixtures, Inc. 
• Apryle Gladney, Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources at Washington University in St. Louis 

Sacks testified that one of the key strengths of community colleges is their ability to create tailored educational pathways for students. These pathways are designed in close collaboration with local industries, ensuring that the curriculum remains current and relevant. Sacks also noted the push among many community colleges and other workforce advocates to expand Pell Grant eligibility to cover short-term workforce education programs. And while she stated that the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) already provides vouchers known as individual training accounts (ITAs) that would cover those programs, she emphasized how challenging those ITAs are to use. “ITAs pay for what essentially short-term Pell would be, but it’s a lot more burdensome,” she said. 

On apprenticeships, Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC) asked Sacks how states could remodel their funding structures to better accommodate pre-apprenticeships. She stated that WIOA state plans are grounded in federal compliance when they should be focused on the needs of local communities and employers. 

A recording of the hearing can be found here. 

 

Updated Resource: Manufacturing Sector Sheet

Today ACTE has released CTE: Developing the Manufacturing Workforce, the fifth in our revamped series of Sector Sheets describing CTE’s role in growing the workforce for vital industry sectors. The Sector Sheet series is published with support from ACTE's long-time partner Pearson. 

These revised Sector Sheets include job opportunities in each sector and descriptions of how CTE prepares learners for the workforce in each sector, all in a new format featuring streamlined text and additional graphics to make these advocacy tools even more effective. 

This Sector Sheet describes how CTE supports the critical manufacturing workforce, which employs almost 13 million people nationwide with countless more workers needed each year to meet industry demand. It also shares information on occupations, earnings and credentials that give readers guidance for how to enter and progress within fields such as semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, and supply chains. Finally, the Manufacturing Sector Sheet demonstrates the importance of CTE in developing the workforce by describing how CTE prepares learners through courses, industry credentials, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and more. 

As we move forward with the revamped Sector Sheets, both the newer and older Sector Sheets will be available on the ACTE Sector Sheet webpage for download and use. We encourage you to share these tools with students, counselors, policymakers and others to spread the message about CTE and its benefits for students and the workforce. 

Research Roundup: Outcomes for Dual Enrollment, Non-degree Credentials and Reentering Young Adults

How States and Localities are Improving Employment Outcomes for Reentering Young Adults: The Center for American Progress (CAP) recently published a report highlighting how states and localities are improving employment outcomes for justice-involved 18-to-24-year old individuals. Researchers discovered that one in five young adults reported not being able to find employment within their first year of release from incarceration, while those who do find a job report working fewer weeks per year than their non-incarcerated peers.

The report notes that legal reforms aimed at improving post-incarceration outcomes have historically only applied to individuals younger than 18, leaving others in limbo. Researchers highlighted the following practices emerging across the country to support reentering young adults:

• Increasing access to identification forms so reentering young adults can secure resources like housing, public benefits, employment and banking access.
• Increasing access to the social safety net to help reentering young adults secure basic economic needs and transition toward stability.
• Investing in career exploration and workforce development programs dedicated to young adults who often do not have previous work experience or training.
• Reforming restrictive employment laws that limit access to work for young adults due to their criminal record.

The report also recommends holistic support for justice-involved young adults at all stages of the process to help them better reach their goals and build stronger communities.

Understanding the Link Between Dual Enrollment Course Characteristics and Students’ Postsecondary Enrollment Outcomes: The Community College Research Center at Columbia University (CCRC) recently published a report examining dual enrollment (DE) course participation and outcomes among recent high school students to offer policymakers, administrators and practitioners insights for the design and development of these courses. The report reinforced the importance of CTE’s effects on student outcomes, finding that individuals who participate in CTE-DE courses have an increased probability of high school graduation and postsecondary enrollment.

Researchers also found the following about the student characteristics and outcomes of CTE-DE courses:

• CTE-DE courses serve more Black and Hispanic students and individuals from low-income backgrounds than academic DE courses.
• Learners who take CTE-DE courses at a postsecondary campus are more likely to enroll in a public two-year institution upon graduation.
• Larger CTE-DE class sizes and higher credit CTE-DE classes negatively predict student outcomes.
• Taking a CTE-DE course with an instructor who holds a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree increases students’ probability of enrolling in postsecondary education after high school.

Additionally, the report recommends that postsecondary institutions partner more intentionally with high schools to recruit, support and engage DE students and that educational leaders balance short- and long-term outcomes when designing evidence-based practices.

The Impacts of Quality Non-degree Credentials in Preparing Learners for the Workforce: A report recently published by the National Skills Coalition (NSC) encourages state policymakers to invest in quality non-degree credentials (NDC) and shares how NSC researchers have worked with states to define, measure and track credential quality. Researchers reported that large shares of NDC holders are women as well as individuals of color with no other postsecondary credential, reinforcing the importance of ensuring that NDCs are high quality and lead to upward mobility and family-sustaining wages.

The report includes the following recommendations for growing quality credentials:

• Ensure a strong leadership commitment that mandates action and directs resources toward quality assurance and greater cross-system collaboration.
• Engage diverse groups of stakeholders to build buy-in and trust and develop initiatives with an equity lens.
• Invest time and resources into improved data collection, capacity and reporting infrastructure.
• Prioritize funding for individuals pursuing quality NDCs, along with other access and attainment policies that support equitable credential attainment.