Building Learner Resilience
What happens when learners are asked to perform at a higher standard? Competitive events are often the most visible part of CTSOs, but they are also one of the most powerful learning tools within the system. Whether a learner advances to state or national levels is not the primary outcome. The growth occurs in preparation.
Read on.
What happens when learners are asked to perform at a higher standard? Competitive events are often the most visible part of CTSOs, but they are also one of the most powerful learning tools within the system. Whether a learner advances to state or national levels is not the primary outcome. The growth occurs in preparation.
Read on.
Ohio's Co-Curricular Model
We often describe leadership as an outcome of education. The more important question is how it is developed. CTSO participation provides consistent opportunities for learners to practice decision-making. These experiences are not abstract. They are structured and intentional.
Read on.
We often describe leadership as an outcome of education. The more important question is how it is developed. CTSO participation provides consistent opportunities for learners to practice decision-making. These experiences are not abstract. They are structured and intentional.
Read on.
Learners and Leadership
Career Technical Student Organizations have always been part of the CTE experience in Ohio. But it is worth asking why they still matter, especially at a time when schedules are tight and expectations are high. CTSOs add something equally important. They help learners practice leadership before it is expected of them.
Read on.
Career Technical Student Organizations have always been part of the CTE experience in Ohio. But it is worth asking why they still matter, especially at a time when schedules are tight and expectations are high. CTSOs add something equally important. They help learners practice leadership before it is expected of them.
Read on.
Intentional CTE Programs
Enrollment matters, but outcomes matter more. Ohio’s CTE programs are designed to help learners build real skills and earn credentials that have value beyond high school. As participation increases, maintaining quality takes intention. How do we make sure growth in CTE continues to mean strong outcomes for learners?
Read on.
Enrollment matters, but outcomes matter more. Ohio’s CTE programs are designed to help learners build real skills and earn credentials that have value beyond high school. As participation increases, maintaining quality takes intention. How do we make sure growth in CTE continues to mean strong outcomes for learners?
Read on.
The Demand for CTE Accessibility
CTE opportunities look different from one community to the next. Ohio has made real progress in expanding opportunities, including work-based learning experiences that help learners connect classroom learning to the workplace. These differences do not mean the system is standing still.
Read on.
CTE opportunities look different from one community to the next. Ohio has made real progress in expanding opportunities, including work-based learning experiences that help learners connect classroom learning to the workplace. These differences do not mean the system is standing still.
Read on.
Building CTE Momentum
Across Ohio, interest in career and technical education is strong. In many communities, programs are full and applications keep coming. Learners are choosing CTE because it makes sense to them. That didn’t happen overnight. Today, about one in four Ohio high school learners takes at least one CTE course. A decade ago, it was closer to one in six. What does it tell us when more learners want CTE than we currently have capacity to serve?
Read on.
Across Ohio, interest in career and technical education is strong. In many communities, programs are full and applications keep coming. Learners are choosing CTE because it makes sense to them. That didn’t happen overnight. Today, about one in four Ohio high school learners takes at least one CTE course. A decade ago, it was closer to one in six. What does it tell us when more learners want CTE than we currently have capacity to serve?
Read on.
Effective Advocacy
What role do you want to play in shaping the future of CTE in Ohio? Some of the most effective advocacy for CTE happens at the local level.
Long-term success in career and technical education depends on sustained, informed advocacy. It requires relationships built over time, consistent messaging, and a shared focus on learner impact.
Read on.
What role do you want to play in shaping the future of CTE in Ohio? Some of the most effective advocacy for CTE happens at the local level.
Long-term success in career and technical education depends on sustained, informed advocacy. It requires relationships built over time, consistent messaging, and a shared focus on learner impact.
Read on.
Valuable Work-Based Learning
High-quality work-based learning is intentional. It gives students real responsibilities tied to their program of study. It reflects a partnership where both the school and the workplace understand their shared role in helping young people grow. Ohio’s guidance points in this direction, and national organizations have outlined similar principles. The vision is clear. Every student should have the chance to participate in an experience that is safe, supported, and connected to genuine learning.
Read on.
High-quality work-based learning is intentional. It gives students real responsibilities tied to their program of study. It reflects a partnership where both the school and the workplace understand their shared role in helping young people grow. Ohio’s guidance points in this direction, and national organizations have outlined similar principles. The vision is clear. Every student should have the chance to participate in an experience that is safe, supported, and connected to genuine learning.
Read on.
Special Education Equality
We often say CTE connects classrooms to careers, but that connection depends on employers who understand how to work with all students, including those with special education needs. Good employer partnerships are built on trust. When employers see that students with IEPs can perform, contribute, and grow, it changes their perspective, and their hiring practices.
Read on.
We often say CTE connects classrooms to careers, but that connection depends on employers who understand how to work with all students, including those with special education needs. Good employer partnerships are built on trust. When employers see that students with IEPs can perform, contribute, and grow, it changes their perspective, and their hiring practices.
Read on.
Employability Skills
Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability are the backbone of every career, and in many cases, they’re what employers notice first. In CTE, we have a unique opportunity to embed these skills into real-world learning. Programs excel at this by being intentional. They don’t leave teamwork to chance; they structure activities to teach it.
Read on.
Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability are the backbone of every career, and in many cases, they’re what employers notice first. In CTE, we have a unique opportunity to embed these skills into real-world learning. Programs excel at this by being intentional. They don’t leave teamwork to chance; they structure activities to teach it.
Read on.
Creating Opportunity
CTE is about opportunity. But opportunity only matters if every student can access it. The question is whether our systems and expectations make room for those strengths to shine. When we remove barriers and focus on what students can do, they thrive. And when they thrive, they remind us why CTE exists in the first place: to help every learner build a future that fits their skills and goals.
Read on.
CTE is about opportunity. But opportunity only matters if every student can access it. The question is whether our systems and expectations make room for those strengths to shine. When we remove barriers and focus on what students can do, they thrive. And when they thrive, they remind us why CTE exists in the first place: to help every learner build a future that fits their skills and goals.
Read on.
Membership Makes a Difference
Career-technical education in Ohio is thriving, but it’s also evolving fast. New policies, expanding programs, emerging industries, and changing student needs all call for collaboration, not isolation. Membership connects you to a statewide network of professionals who care deeply about CTE and understand the real-world challenges you face. It opens doors to shared solutions, trusted resources, and meaningful conversations that move your work forward.
Read on.
Career-technical education in Ohio is thriving, but it’s also evolving fast. New policies, expanding programs, emerging industries, and changing student needs all call for collaboration, not isolation. Membership connects you to a statewide network of professionals who care deeply about CTE and understand the real-world challenges you face. It opens doors to shared solutions, trusted resources, and meaningful conversations that move your work forward.
Read on.
Bridge the Gap
Career awareness and exploration shouldn’t be confined to a single event or isolated guest speaker. In CTE, we naturally bridge learning and the world of work. But we can stretch that bridge further. Each time we expand the picture, we help them imagine themselves in new roles and pathways they hadn’t considered.
Read on.
Career awareness and exploration shouldn’t be confined to a single event or isolated guest speaker. In CTE, we naturally bridge learning and the world of work. But we can stretch that bridge further. Each time we expand the picture, we help them imagine themselves in new roles and pathways they hadn’t considered.
Read on.
Skills that Show
Employability skills are sometimes called “soft skills,” but in truth, there’s nothing soft about them. In CTE, we have a unique opportunity to embed these skills into real-world learning. When students are working on a project, they’re not just learning technical content - they’re practicing time management, navigating group dynamics, and presenting their ideas. These are employability skills in action.
Read on.
Employability skills are sometimes called “soft skills,” but in truth, there’s nothing soft about them. In CTE, we have a unique opportunity to embed these skills into real-world learning. When students are working on a project, they’re not just learning technical content - they’re practicing time management, navigating group dynamics, and presenting their ideas. These are employability skills in action.
Read on.
CTE Tells Stories
Recruitment isn’t just an enrollment number; it’s a story we tell about opportunities, futures, and possibilities. Recruitment is also about relationships. Teachers, counselors, and community members are our ambassadors. When they believe in CTE and understand its impact, they’ll help share that story far and wide. How are you telling your CTE story this year?
Read on.
Recruitment isn’t just an enrollment number; it’s a story we tell about opportunities, futures, and possibilities. Recruitment is also about relationships. Teachers, counselors, and community members are our ambassadors. When they believe in CTE and understand its impact, they’ll help share that story far and wide. How are you telling your CTE story this year?
Read on.
Student Engagement
In CTE, our advantage is clear: hands-on, relevant learning that connects directly to careers. But even the best curriculum won’t engage students if they don’t feel seen and valued. Engagement is also about connection beyond the classroom: site visits, guest speakers, and mentorships that help students see the bigger picture. When they can picture themselves in a career, they’ll put in the effort to get there.
Read on.
In CTE, our advantage is clear: hands-on, relevant learning that connects directly to careers. But even the best curriculum won’t engage students if they don’t feel seen and valued. Engagement is also about connection beyond the classroom: site visits, guest speakers, and mentorships that help students see the bigger picture. When they can picture themselves in a career, they’ll put in the effort to get there.
Read on.
First Impressions
The first day of a new school year is more than just a starting point. It’s an opportunity to set the tone for everything that follows: expectations, energy, and culture. In career-technical education, that first day is when students decide if this is a place where they belong, where they will be challenged, and where their skills will matter.
Read on.
The first day of a new school year is more than just a starting point. It’s an opportunity to set the tone for everything that follows: expectations, energy, and culture. In career-technical education, that first day is when students decide if this is a place where they belong, where they will be challenged, and where their skills will matter.
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Real-World Application
Whether it’s a simulated workplace, an internship, or a live client project, these experiences change how students see themselves. They start to realize they have something valuable to contribute. That they can lead, make decisions, and be taken seriously.
Read on.
Whether it’s a simulated workplace, an internship, or a live client project, these experiences change how students see themselves. They start to realize they have something valuable to contribute. That they can lead, make decisions, and be taken seriously.
Read on.
The Power of Partnerships
Good partnerships don’t happen by chance. They take trust, communication, and a shared commitment to talent development. We need more of them and we need them everywhere.
Read on.
Good partnerships don’t happen by chance. They take trust, communication, and a shared commitment to talent development. We need more of them and we need them everywhere.
Read on.
Educators Who Inspire
CTE teachers do more than prepare students for a job. They prepare students for confidence, for leadership, and for a future they believe in. They show students what’s possible, and help them believe it for themselves.
Read on.
CTE teachers do more than prepare students for a job. They prepare students for confidence, for leadership, and for a future they believe in. They show students what’s possible, and help them believe it for themselves.
Read on.
CTE Means Belonging
When a student puts on their scrubs, steps onto a shop floor, or takes the lead in a CTSO project, they’re not just participating. They’re belonging. And that sense of belonging is one of the strongest predictors of persistence and success.
Read on.
When a student puts on their scrubs, steps onto a shop floor, or takes the lead in a CTSO project, they’re not just participating. They’re belonging. And that sense of belonging is one of the strongest predictors of persistence and success.
Read on.
A #NEXTready Workforce
Too often, “college and career readiness” ends up being code for “college readiness.” Career readiness isn’t a fallback. It’s a forward strategy. And it starts long before graduation. That needs to change.
Read on.
Too often, “college and career readiness” ends up being code for “college readiness.” Career readiness isn’t a fallback. It’s a forward strategy. And it starts long before graduation. That needs to change.
Read on.
Elevating CTE Leaders
Leadership in career-tech isn’t about hierarchy, it’s about service. Strong CTE leaders listen first. They advocate with data and stories.
Read on.
Leadership in career-tech isn’t about hierarchy, it’s about service. Strong CTE leaders listen first. They advocate with data and stories.
Read on.
CTE: Talent that Translates
CTE connects learning to opportunity. It’s where students discover what they’re good at and how that talent can translate into meaningful careers. As we look to the future, let’s move away from the idea of either/or. Every student deserves access to both academic rigor and real-world relevance. CTE delivers both.
Read on.
CTE connects learning to opportunity. It’s where students discover what they’re good at and how that talent can translate into meaningful careers. As we look to the future, let’s move away from the idea of either/or. Every student deserves access to both academic rigor and real-world relevance. CTE delivers both.
Read on.
Job Growth Trends
Career awareness dollars have the power to create stability for students. The Ohio Bureau of Labor Market Information projects that 75% of job growth in Ohio will require a postsecondary non-degree credential, and 58% of growth will require a bachelor’s degree or higher. Local career centers have a new way to respond to this unfolding trend with early career exposure.
Read on.
Career awareness dollars have the power to create stability for students. The Ohio Bureau of Labor Market Information projects that 75% of job growth in Ohio will require a postsecondary non-degree credential, and 58% of growth will require a bachelor’s degree or higher. Local career centers have a new way to respond to this unfolding trend with early career exposure.
Read on.
Ohio's Big Bet on CTE
People attract jobs and jobs attract people. How can Ohio be the bridge? In 2023, the $300 million lump-sum from Governor DeWine’s administration delivered upgrades to several statewide career-technical education programs. As Ohio ACTE continues testifying to policymakers, we’re pushing our entire state to acknowledge the economic growth this entails. Conceptually, this is a down payment to generations of learner potential, success, and stability that maintains Ohio’s labor pipeline.
Read on.
People attract jobs and jobs attract people. How can Ohio be the bridge? In 2023, the $300 million lump-sum from Governor DeWine’s administration delivered upgrades to several statewide career-technical education programs. As Ohio ACTE continues testifying to policymakers, we’re pushing our entire state to acknowledge the economic growth this entails. Conceptually, this is a down payment to generations of learner potential, success, and stability that maintains Ohio’s labor pipeline.
Read on.
Ohio's Best-Kept Higher ED Secret
Dee Smith and Duane Caudill from Upper Valley Career Center Adult Division testified before the Ohio Senate Higher Education Committee to highlight the incredible impact of Ohio Technical Centers (OTCs) — one of Ohio’s best-kept higher ed secrets. They called on lawmakers to restore budget investments and strengthen policies supporting career awareness, exploration, and development across the state.
Read on.
Dee Smith and Duane Caudill from Upper Valley Career Center Adult Division testified before the Ohio Senate Higher Education Committee to highlight the incredible impact of Ohio Technical Centers (OTCs) — one of Ohio’s best-kept higher ed secrets. They called on lawmakers to restore budget investments and strengthen policies supporting career awareness, exploration, and development across the state.
Read on.
