In 2020, Advance CTE was excited to develop a new vision for the future of Career Technical Education (CTE), as well as celebrate the organization’s 100th anniversary in person with the field. This was our every-five-year summit, a national convening hosted by Advance CTE, in partnership with key national organizations, to put CTE leaders together in one room (or hotel) for a few days to develop a new vision for the field. Instead, we were behind screens, grappling with the impact of a global pandemic on our local communities. It was a time of disconnect from the physical community but created unprecedented innovation and a new intention to set a tone for CTE over the last five years.
This fall, Advance CTE will be hosting CTE Unlocked, our first Summit since the pandemic. It is an opportunity for CTE leaders to convene and contribute to a shared vision for CTE over the next five years. It is also an opportunity to reflect back on the last five years and see how the field has not only endured but grown in its reach, rigor, and relevance.
Pictured (left to right): Sue Liu, the Gates Foundation; Amanda Winters, the National Governors Association; Thalea Longhurst, Utah State CTE Director; Kate Kreamer, Advance CTE.
During a recent panel at Advance CTE’s 2025 Spring Meeting, education leaders and policy professionals reflected on the remarkable progress made since the CTE Forward Summit in the Fall of 2020, which determined a vision for the field – CTE Without Limits. What emerged from the conversation, hosted by Advance CTE executive director Kate Kreamer, was a clear consensus: there is momentum behind CTE. That momentum is reshaping how the field can prepare learners for both college and career success.
Below are major takeaways from that conversation, paraphrased to offer insight from a funder, State CTE Director, and policy expert perspective.
Data-Driven Results and Rising Perceptions
Sue Liu, a senior program officer at the Gates Foundation, emphasized how data has validated the impact of CTE, particularly for low-income male students. She referenced studies that show improved graduation and attendance rates, increased matriculation into four-year institutions, and, most importantly, stronger wage outcomes after graduation. For funders like Gates, the measurable success of CTE programs is driving deeper investment and more targeted strategies around pathways.
Equally important is how public perception has evolved. Thalea Longhurst, state director from Utah and president of Advance CTE’s board, noted a seismic shift in how students, families, and educators view CTE. Utah’s decision to make CTE credit a graduation requirement – and to integrate dual enrollment opportunities – has made career readiness an expected and respected part of every learner’s journey.
Data storytelling has helped to change hearts and minds, particularly when shared year after year with decision-makers at the learner through to the state leader level.
Adding to the data perspective, Thalea remarked on the impact that good data can have on an education that is slow to change. She shared that in Utah, good data is their objective, and if the data says something isn’t working, own it and find a way forward that improves access for all students. Good data is essential to what they do, guiding decision-making and aligning resources to opportunities in their state’s CTE system.
A Shift from Postsecondary Attainment to Value
As Amanda Winters from the National Governors Association pointed out, five years ago, the conversation was largely about attainment – how many degrees, diplomas, and certifications learners could earn. Today, it’s about value. The shift toward skills-based hiring and recognition of non-degree pathways has put CTE in the national spotlight as a bellwether for innovation – as Amanda puts it, a “teeter-totter” that sits in the middle of attainment and impact.
There is a tangible return on investment in CTE programs in terms of job readiness, industry credentials, and workforce relevance.
Kate underscored how the 2018 reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V) opened the door for states to elevate workforce partnerships and redefine quality. CTE is now not just an educational model – it’s an economic strategy, integrating pathways, credentials, and experiential learning to meet real labor market demands.
Removing Barriers and Defining Quality
Scaling CTE isn’t just about adding more programs – it’s about removing structural barriers to those that already work. Whether it’s making dual credit accessible or aligning systems around common definitions of “high-skill” and “high-wage,” the path to scale is paved with simplification and cohesion – two things that are, ironically, not always simple or cohesive.
Sue Liu stressed that two major process challenges remain: data and definitions. States struggle to align systems and communicate impact without shared, high-quality data and common definitions of success. Yet, Sue sees promise in the growing interest in student-centered CTE programming and the opportunity for funders and policymakers to learn side-by-side with practitioners.
The Power of Process
While the progress in CTE over the past five years is impressive, a central question remains: how do we ensure that this momentum is sustained, scaled, and institutionalized?
Process as Protection Amid Political Shifts
Amanda Winters emphasized the importance of embedding vision and process into the DNA of CTE systems – especially as political administrations change. Some states are using governor-led commissions on CTE to bring together key stakeholders from workforce, education, and policy sectors. These commissions aren’t just convenings – they are strategy sessions that spark alignment, relationship-building, and long-term planning. But Amanda cautioned: one-on-one agency relationships, while powerful, are difficult to preserve. Sustaining them requires clear documentation, shared frameworks, and ongoing collaboration.
There is momentum behind CTE. That momentum is reshaping how the field can prepare learners for both college and career success.
Thalea Longhurst highlighted Utah’s recent strategic planning process as a case study in institutionalization. Using models from other states and support from Advance CTE, Utah developed a plan that the state education agency didn’t just own – but rather has shared ownership with local districts, workforce leaders, and even the governor’s office. The result was a guidebook that will outlast elections and personnel changes, with clear steps forward and built-in accountability.
Collaboration, Not Duplication
Amanda warned against the inefficiencies of funders and nonprofits duplicating efforts, calling for better coordination among national partners. The most successful models are those where humility, clarity, and communication guide partnerships. From her NGA vantage point, Amanda sees Advance CTE as a national model for how to foster these collaborations – driving both innovation and alignment.
Progress and Process Must Work in Tandem
As we look ahead to the next CTE Summit – aptly named CTE Unlocked – it’s clear that the field is at another crossroads. This one is not dictated by a pandemic but an agreement, or even a consensus, from the field that the progress made over the past five years has been transformative. That work of ensuring all learners have access to high-quality CTE programs is by no means finished, but progress can only be made through shared intention and commitment to CTE across the field.
The key question now is not just “What have we accomplished?” but “How do we protect and strengthen it?” For states, funders, and national organizations alike, the answer lies in creating systems that are as agile, comprehensive, and innovative as the programs they support.
