Nov 07 Career and Technical Education Offers Experiences that Students Need: Allies for Children’s new report offers ways to support it

Nov 07h in Bold Voices by

(November 7, 2025)

America’s traditional approach to college and career paths is risky. We ask teens to make one of the greatest decisions of their lives without any previous experience to prepare them to do so: pick a career path or a college major, the choice of which will shape their entire future.

Given the weight of this decision, the more we can equip students at a young age to choose a path that is right for them, the better. Career and Technical Education (CTE) offers students this advantage and more. While still in high school, CTE gives students opportunities to pursue careers before graduating. In Allegheny County, this can include a range of experiences, from programs that prepare you to be a Surgeon to Cybersecurity. In a CTE dual-enrollment program, like what is offered out of the University of Pittsburgh, high schoolers can take college courses, smoothing their way into a university setting while offering credits that will lighten their course load (and costs) whenever they enter a post-secondary institution.

Outside of these experiential benefits, data on career and educational outcomes for students in CTE shows substantial advantages. CTE engagement improves the chances of students graduating at a post-secondary institution, and finding a stable career early in adulthood. With the most vulnerable populations, it has shown even greater outcomes. For example, studies have shown that foster youth who gain work experience while in high school are four times as likely to graduate as those who don’t. Completion of at least three CTE credits alone has shown to reduce dropout rates by nearly half.

Despite how much CTE programs can improve future outcomes, many students in Pennsylvania are not participating. Data from the 2022-23 school year shows that only 11.6% of Pennsylvanian students in grades 9-12 are enrolled in a CTE affiliated program, while nationally 50.2% of the same group are enrolled (data from PCRN and ELSI). With CTE serving as a bridge for students to college and career success, Pennsylvania should find ways to boost CTE engagement, and make sure the career and technical centers have the support they need to offer the best experiences they can for any student interested in participating.

Allies for Children’s newly released report on CTE, “The Path Forward: Elevating Pennsylvania’s CTE Through National Models,” shows how other states across the country have strengthened their CTE programs through a stable system of oversight and partnerships. Key questions that were asked during this process include:

  • How are other states operating their statewide CTE systems?
  • How are the programs best meeting the needs of the students and employers?
  • How can Pennsylvania’s CTE system learn from other states and better engage its students?

These state models offer valuable insights into how Pennsylvania CTE might consider organizing its own system, making it more robust and effective. The report also sheds light on creative approaches to deliver CTE that can lead to more students and businesses participating, while also considering the barriers (like transportation and economic inequity) that may hinder student involvement.

Engagement in CTE helps students make career-based decisions with past experiences to guide them. A strong CTE system can increase student engagement, and extend the benefits of CTE to more students in Pennsylvania.

Shauna McMillan, Consultant