3 Reasons Your Student Should Take CTE Courses

You’ve probably heard about students taking career and technical education (CTE) courses at a vocational school or a community college. But did you know many students are also benefiting from taking online CTE courses in high school?

CTE courses can help your high school student gain real-world skills. It can also help them earn certifications that can lead to higher-wage jobs following graduation. But there are many other reasons you may want to consider CTE courses for your student.

In celebration of #CTEmonth, we compiled a list of the top three reasons you might consider CTE courses for your student:

1) Students are more likely to graduate and enroll in college.

Juniors and seniors in high school who complete CTE courses are more likely to graduate on time and less likely to drop of school, compared to those who don’t participate in CTE programs.

Taking one CTE class for every two academic classes minimizes the risk of students dropping out of high school. Additionally, the average high school graduation rate for students concentrating in CTE programs is 93 percent, compared to the national average of 80 percent.

And 91 percent of high school graduates who earned two to three CTE credits enrolled in college.

2) Students have the potential to earn higher wages.

A recent study on CTE found that students who take upper-level vocational courses experienced a nearly two percent wage increase each additional year that they took a CTE course.

Essentially the study discovered that CTE students who focused more deeply in one area of study experienced the greatest results, higher wages and increased satisfaction in CTE programs.

3) Students stay engaged.

Students who take CTE courses know that they will be able to directly apply their learning to careers when they graduate. Hands-on learning experiences enable CTE students to apply practical skills to real-world scenarios while building content mastery.

CTE prepares students for high demand careers with a depth of learning that builds real-world skills that help your student graduate ready for a job, certification or technical school.

CTE courses are based on state standards and each course—including Health Science Finance, Information Technology, and Business Management, and Administration—contributes to a program of study in which students progress through introductory, intermediate, and capstone courses.

Students develop academic and industry-specific skills that prepare them for related certification exams and help them earn the industry credentials employers are seeking. The active learning approach used in high quality online courses is proven to develop critical thinking skills and prepares students for success in the workforce.

How ALVS Can Help

The ALVS CTE programs of study includes areas such as general management, human resources management, and administrative support. These programs of study provide three-year course pathways that equip students for jobs where there is high demand for workers. To learn more about our CTE programs, visit: https://www.apexlearningvs.com/course-catalog/.