This month, the Florida Department of Education, students and educators are celebrating Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month with the 2018 theme, “Celebrate Today and Own Tomorrow.”
“We are proud to offer Floridians a public education system that was designed to help students of all ages and backgrounds reach their academic and career goals,” said Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart. “Many students have gained the professional skills necessary to succeed through the Career and Technical Education programs available in all of our state’s school districts and colleges. Career and Technical Education Month is a great time to highlight the tremendous opportunities available to help students get a head-start on their careers.”
More than half a million Florida students are enrolled in secondary and postsecondary career and technical education. Programs around the state will hold activities during February to promote awareness about these educational opportunities.
“CTE programs have evolved from the ‘vocational’ programs of the past that prepared students for a single job with limited skills to today’s programs where students are prepared for a career,” said Career and Adult Education Chancellor Rod Duckworth. “Students who are enrolled in Florida’s CTE courses and programs are developing the skills to be successful in today’s workplace and those necessary for the jobs of the future.”
Students and educators continue to experience the positive impacts associated with Career and Technical Education and Industry Certifications, as evidenced by the data points below.
- More than 420,000 K-12 students are enrolled in career and technical education programs in Florida’s public schools.
- More than 52,000 students are enrolled in district technical center programs that prepare students for immediate entry into high demand, high skill employment opportunities.
- More than 164,000 students are enrolled in the Florida College System postsecondary career and technical education programs.
- The number of industry certifications earned by K-12 students continues to rise. In 2015-16, high school students earned a total of 81,970 industry certifications, and in 2016-17, that number jumped to 102,044.
- More than 489,000 students in grades 6-12 are enrolled in one of over 1,900 registered Career and Professional Education Academies and more than 17,000 registered Career-Themed Courses.
To learn more about Career and Technical Education in Florida, visit http://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu.
Join us in celebrating Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. The 2018 theme is “Celebrate Today and Own Tomorrow.”
Find out more: http://bit.ly/2nGOHzu
