About
About
The American workforce is changing. Career Technical Education (CTE) opens bold new paths for learners to achieve lifelong success, offering opportunities that align with all passions and pursuits.
Advance CTE is the national association of State CTE Directors and related professionals, equipping those leaders with knowledge and inspiration to move education forward. Across the country, our members are creating a way for each learner by expanding access to and success in an inclusive career preparation ecosystem.
What is CTE?
Career Technical Education (CTE) is an umbrella term for an array of educational programs that offer learning and experiences beyond the traditional high school and college model. Approximately 12.5 million high school and college students are enrolled in CTE programs across the nation. CTE prepares these learners for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies and providing hands-on learning. The high school graduation rate for CTE concentrators is about 90 percent—15 percentage points higher than the national average of all academic programs.
Who We Are
Advance CTE: State Leaders Connecting Learning to Work, first established in 1920, is the longest-standing national non-profit that represents State CTE Directors and state leaders responsible for secondary, postsecondary and adult CTE across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.
Dr. Kayla Elliott, Director of Workforce Policy, The Joint Center
Nick Rodriguez, CEO, Delivery Associates
Wendi Safstrom, Executive Director, SHRM Foundation
Our Mission
Support state CTE leadership to advance high-quality and equitable CTE policies, programs and pathways that ensure career and college success for each learner.
Our Vision
Advance CTE’s vision is Without Limits: A Shared Vision for the Future of Career Technical Education. Developed with input from nearly 200 national, state and local education and workforce development leaders and supported by 42 national organizations, CTE Without Limits puts forth a bold vision for a cohesive, flexible, and responsive career preparation ecosystem.
Our Values
Advance CTE’s core values, co-developed and agreed to by the full Advance CTE team, represent how our team chooses to interact with and work alongside one another.
Explore the remarkable progress Advance CTE and our members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia made toward our goals last year.
