What is CTE?

CTE sparks students’ curiosity, discovery, and connection to the real world

Across Washtenaw County, CTE gets our students excited about learning – this is every educator’s goal and every student’s hope. With CTE, our students understand why they’re learning what they’re learning. By offering students innovative, hands-on learning experiences early, students can discover new, practical interests and explore what energizes and motivates them. When students are passionate about what they are learning and can connect it to the world around them, they are more engaged in school.

CTE integrates and enhances traditional academic concepts. For example, students learn math and physics in the classroom that they can apply as they design, build, and fly drones in their engineering CTE program. Other students enrolled in the health sciences CTE program have opportunities to directly connect their biology courses to patient care. All levels of rigor—standard, honors, dual enrollment, and Advanced Placement (AP)—are seamlessly blended and represented in Washtenaw’s CTE programs. This gives all students a competitive advantage as they consider their college and career paths.

CTE also helps students refine the intangible, human skills necessary to be productive, valued, and engaged, not only in the workforce, but also in their community. Real-world projects, internships, work-based learning, and CTE student organization competitions support development of leadership, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills.

To put it simply, this leads to meaningful, lasting impacts for our students:

• CTE builds curious, lifelong learners who think critically, embrace innovation, and solve problems creatively.
• CTE reinforces the interpersonal skills students need to communicate and collaborate effectively at work, at home, and in their community.
• CTE teaches students the importance of time management, work ethic, and attention to detail, all skills that easily transfer across projects, jobs, and pathways.

CTE helps students confidently plan for college, careers, and lifelong success

CTE has drastically evolved as the world has changed over the past decade. When Washtenaw students can access CTE programs, they have opportunities to earn certifications, college credits, and hands-on experiences – the first step to lucrative, fulfilling, and future-focused careers in engineering, business, healthcare, technology, and more. CTE students thrive because CTE launches them toward high-wage, high-skill, in-demand careers.

• Michigan CTE students achieve a higher median annual income across all levels of education attainment when compared to non-CTE students. (Source: Median Annual Wages by Educational Attainment and High School CTE Status, 2024)
• 86% of Washtenaw CTE students enroll in college after high school graduation. (Source: Washtenaw County CTEIS Report, 2025)
• 77.5% of students who complete at least one state-approved CTE program reported that they were using the skills learned in their CTE programs for postsecondary education or in their current job following high school.

Through CTE, students gain a competitive advantage by more effectively:

• building technical and soft skills through hands-on learning and industry and postsecondary partnerships.
• earning industry-recognized credentials, certificates, and/or dual enrollment or articulated college credits connected to in-demand fields. This saves them time and money after graduation. 
• graduating with confidence and more clarity about where they want to go and how they’ll get there.

We can’t afford to have a student approach the stage at high school graduation and say, “I’m great at math, but I don’t know what I’m going to do with it.” We can’t afford to have a student graduate saying, “I don’t know what I want to be.” We want all of our graduates to have an informed postsecondary plan, and CTE and applied learning experiences are how we do that. Whether college, a skilled trade apprenticeship, entrepreneurship, or a direct pathway into the workforce, our students deserve to be prepared for what’s next after high school.

CTE strengthens our businesses and communities

Today, careers and industries are constantly changing and require a rapidly evolving set of skills. With access to CTE programs, students are given hands-on experiences in industry-based settings that build their skills so they can meet and exceed those industry demands and contribute to our economy.

Our deep partnerships with local industries offer students mentorships, internships, and real-world learning opportunities that prepare them for the future. These partnerships shape our local industries and strengthen the future workforce by creating a strong talent pipeline for local industries.

In Washtenaw County, we believe CTE is a PreK-12 continuum, which can include opportunities such as electives, instructional units or projects, work-based learning, or state-approved CTE programs. State-approved CTE programs meet additional standards and qualifications above and beyond other CTE learning experiences. Generally speaking, state-approved CTE programs have the following components:

• The program is for 11th and/or 12th grade students.
• The program is aligned with a state-recognized CIP Code covering required instructional competencies.
• Data exists showing regional job openings in the program's career pathway, and there are related continuing education options such as postsecondary programs, apprenticeships, or other training.
• A program advisory committee with business and industry partners meets twice annually to provide curriculum guidance.
• The program has a least one state-recognized certification or credential students can earn.
• The program incorporates work-based learning activities, such as industry tours, mock interviews, job shadows, internships, clinical experiences, and/or guest speakers.
• The program incorporates student leadership opportunities, such as Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs).
• The program is taught by an instructor with a CTE teaching endorsement or annual authorization with recent relevant industry experience.