Each year, Advance CTE joins a national celebration and CTE awareness campaign called CTE Month®. The goal of CTE Month is to raise awareness about CTE’s role in the education and workforce pipeline, preparing learners for careers that require high-quality skills training for in-demand careers.

Over 11 million secondary and postsecondary learners participate in CTE nationwide, with hundreds of thousands more leaders and educators supporting CTE. Each February, CTE Month marks the annual celebration of their contributions and the role that CTE plays in the education and workforce pipeline to prepare learners for careers that require high-quality skills training for in-demand careers.

Want to get some ideas for next February? Check out Advance CTE’s CTE Month Guide!

Advance CTE works to raise awareness and advocate for CTE throughout the year. Still, February is a great time to intentionally connect with members of the CTE ecosystem across the country at the state and local levels to see how each community highlights CTE’s impact and potential. 

For more celebrations, take a look back at previous years of posts highlighting CTE Month Activities.

CTE Month Kicked Off with Presidential Proclamation and Bipartisan Congressional Resolution

The federal government officially celebrated CTE Month after Congress introduced and passed identical bipartisan, bicameral resolutions to designate February as CTE Month. Congressional CTE Caucus co-chairs led the effort in both the House and Senate. The resolution highlights a national commitment to high-quality skills training and workforce development starting in the education pipeline.

“We are thrilled to support the bipartisan, bicameral 2025 Career Technical Education Month Resolution, reflecting a national and shared commitment to high-quality skills, credentials of value, and meaningful work-based learning,” said Kate Kreamer, Advance CTE’s executive director. “The broad support for this resolution strengthens our network of state CTE leaders and highlights the vital link between education and economic development.”

President Trump also issued a proclamation recognizing February 2025 as CTE Month. The Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized how increasing workforce training will strengthen the economy. 

Prince George’s County Area Technical Center Shows Off Skills, Learner Panel Provides Valuable Insight

On February 25th,  Advance CTE staff joined in on the CTE Month School Visit hosted by Crossland High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Crossland is the CTE Hub for the school district, housing 19 CTE programs that include IT, engineering, carpentry, automotive, nursing, and culinary arts. The school visit was organized in partnership between the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and Prince George’s County, with remarks from Superintendent Millard House II, Principal Michael Gilchrist, and ACTE Executive Director Leann Curry. Principal Gilchrist was overjoyed to showcase what the school community has to offer, referencing his experience as a student in a CTE barbering program before deciding to become an educator. 

Following the remarks, high school seniors led guided tours through various CTE classrooms to see learning in action and hear about work-based learning opportunities the student body can participate in. One of these experiences is a collaborative departmental effort to build a house each year, with construction, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical program seniors each having an opportunity to contribute to the construction of a newly built house each school year.

After the tours, the student ambassadors shared insight into their experiences as CTE program participants, their career goals, and program needs. Each emphasized the importance of accessing up-to-date resources and expanding learning opportunities beyond their chosen pathway and the classroom. 

“Every day is an opportunity to learn more. Every time we come into class, it’s always something that we get to learn not only straight from the book but also from our teacher, Mr. Stewart. As someone who has a lot of years of experience in this field and knowledge from working with his dad as a kid, it just changes our perspective on what we are doing based on what they’ve done before us.” This student also talked about how the program being limited to two years keeps students from getting more certifications. “I’ll graduate with my NCCER certification, but if we had two more years, I could have got my OSHA and my EPA certifications.”

“One of the ways auto maintenance and certification could be improved is by providing more opportunities to work on electric vehicles. I get that experience at my job, but only because they could spend time training me. Otherwise, I love being able to help out my friends when their car breaks down or needs some maintenance, that’s really cool.”

“I wanted to be in the nursing program, but it was full freshman year, so I ended up in the biomedical program. It’s cool, our first year, we do forensic DNA and dive into some of the body systems like really in depth. I think more exposure for this program could be good because it’s pretty small, but there are a lot of opportunities to learn and get to know your classmates and teacher.”

Many learners talked about plans for college or at least some postsecondary education to keep growing their skills. One student talked about a clear way to grow CTE at the secondary level.

“There aren’t resources that are in Spanish or bilingual for Spanish speakers. That’s a lot of people that are missing out on an opportunity to get the certifications and skills they need to do jobs they might really enjoy but don’t have access to otherwise. There’s a lot of us Spanish speakers here [in PG county], but if they miss out on the chance to learn, then they may never get these opportunities.”

Crossland’s culinary students catered for the reception that followed. 

Dominion Energy Sparks Career Exploration at Chesterfield Technical Center

Courtesy of Craig Carper, Dominion Energy

For the second consecutive year, Dominion Energy brought its industry professionals and truck tour to technical centers and high schools across the greater Richmond, Virginia area, including Chesterfield Career & Technical Center Courthouse Campus. The Center’s electricity and automotive learners and middle school learners from the neighboring school had the opportunity to connect with professional linemen, explore industry equipment up close, and hear firsthand from current employees about various career pathways at Dominion and in the larger energy sector.

As part of the day’s activities, Dominion hosted a presentation on the range of career opportunities in the energy sector. Learners asked thoughtful questions and heard firsthand from industry professionals about their paths to their current positions. One of those professionals had a particularly special perspective as a recent graduate of the tech center herself. Now, she’s working full-time in the field, offering a powerful reminder of how quickly a career in the industry can become a reality. Lillianne Hughes, who has worked for Dominion for the past six months, shared the impact the tech center had on her journey, saying:

“The reason why I like the tech center so much is that they try to get you a job,” Hughes said. “At the end of this, you’re gonna have some sort of credential, some sort of guidance to find a good job.”

Courtesy of Craig Carper, Dominion Energy

Other learners were quick to step in front of the camera and share their work-based learning experiences at the technical center too:

“I feel very proud of myself at the end of the day knowing that I made something, it worked, and I did it safely.”

 

“I would say apply to this tech center if you have the opportunity. It’s a great use of your time.”

This event signals the potential of strong industry partnerships to offer meaningful, intensive career exploration experiences. By collaborating with industry leaders and local employers, Chesterfield Technical Center provides learners with early and direct exposure to high-demand careers and ensures they gain the skills, confidence, and connections to succeed.

For a closer look at Dominion Energy’s efforts with technical centers and high schools in the greater Richmond, Virginia area, check out this video feature from CBS 6 News Richmond.

State CTE Leaders in Action

CTE Month saw state CTE leaders going the extra mile to showcase the power of Career Technical Education.

In Illinois, State CTE Director Erica Thieman facilitated a high school student panel at the Illinois State Board of Education meeting, where learners shared their CTE experiences and the impact of their teachers and advisors directly to policymakers. This kind of learner engagement, also called learner voice, allows the impact of CTE to be heard and ensures that decisionmakers continue to meet the evolving needs of learners and industry.

In Alabama, State CTE Director Natalie English took to the airwaves with WSFA 12 News to discuss the broad reach of CTE from K-12 to postsecondary, and its impact in shaping a skilled workforce and preparing Alabama’s learners for high-demand careers.

While February is a dedicated time to shine a spotlight on CTE, the work to elevate and expand high-quality Career Technical Education continues all year. Through national recognition, hands-on learning, and strong industry partnerships, CTE Month 2025 showcased the power of Career Technical Education and the collective commitment to preparing learners for in-demand careers and strengthening the workforce.