Career and Technical Education includes a total staff of 70. Nine district and school level staff support 61 teachers and thousands of CTE students. Each traditional high school has a Career Development Coordinator. Two Work-based Learning Coordinators, one high school and one middle school, specialize in and coordinate activities that promote career exploration and preparation. Three district level staff work daily to support CTE teachers and staff, and manage CTE resources. They support district and school administrators with CTE matters.
CTE offers more than 100 different courses in our middle schools and high schools. Those courses make up 27 different career pathways. 4,100 middle and high school students are currently enrolled in CTE courses this Fall semester alone.
The CTE team has worked hard to implement several new opportunities for students over the past two years. New courses and career pathways include Drone Technology, EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), Teaching as a Profession, Child Development, and Advanced Manufacturing. CTE received a $50,000 grant, which we used to place new career investigation labs at each middle school. CTE established a high school internship program last year that is growing and successful. So far, more than 50 high school students have completed an internship with an area employer. Many of those students were offered full time, part time or summer employment at the end of their internship.
CTE staff have worked tirelessly to coordinate summer programming that has employed over 20 CTE staff and served over 200 students to accelerate career experiences for students.
Our staff works hard to provide opportunities for students to earn certifications while enrolled in CTE courses. We offer 25 different certifications such as CPR, Stop the Bleed, Food Manager and OSHA. Credentials like NC Nurse Aide and EMT can mean immediate employment for students.
Our dedicated teachers and staff offer enriching CTSO (Career and Technical Student Organization) experiences for students. Our CTSOs include FFA, DECA, SkillsUSA, FCCLA, and new organizations this year are HOSA and FBLA. These organizations develop leadership and employability skills through competitive events, networking and student-led meetings and events.
CTE proudly sponsors a district-wide CTE Honor Society and recently inducted over 170 high school seniors who completed courses in a career pathway with an overall 3.5 grade point average.
The CTE team is serious about its mission of empowering all students to become successful citizens, workers and leaders in a global economy. They are passionate when it comes to career education and development. Their goal is career awareness in the early grades, career exploration in the middle grades and career preparation at the high school level. The team adopted "CTE Works!" as their theme for this school year. The theme communicates the sincere work of our staff to prepare students for meaningful work and life.