One of the twelve elements of the ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study Framework is Access and Equity. It is extremely important that career and technical education programs are not limited to certain segments of the student population and that program teachers and administrators are actively accounting for access and equity from every angle. Without regular analysis of trends and outcomes, programs and courses can fall into the trap of becoming exclusive. One reason for this is that many career and technical education courses are not specifically sequenced for all students, and they aren’t always set as graduation requirements. 

The truth about equitable access to CTE programs and courses is that the students who end up being excluded are often the ones who might benefit from them the most. Ranging from students who come from typically marginalized backgrounds to students with disabilities, for a number of reasons, students can fall through the cracks in never having taken a CTE course, let alone a full pathway. And, because CTE doesn’t often show up on student schedules until middle and high school, many students and their families aren’t aware that these courses and programs exist. The following five areas should be kept in consideration by counselors, administrators, CTE teachers, and anyone who schedules students into courses in K-12 systems globally. 

Career Guidance

Career guidance for many privileged toddlers starts as early as they can understand picture books. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for all students, which is why schools should begin with career exploration strategies in kindergarten and then differentiate at every grade level thereafter. Having access to career guidance during their K-12 experience provides students with the information that they need to make the best choices regarding life goals, which allows them to curate their course sequences in middle and high school to include career and technical education courses based on their interests. 

CTE courses give students a headstart with career guidance because they can sample a number of classes and programs of study before making decisions about selecting the right college major to study, industry credential to pursue, military branch in which to enroll, and more. The key is that all students receive career guidance, and CTE programming is one way to incorporate it into their schedule in a way that doesn’t take time from core content courses. And, if students have access to a sequence of pathway courses in high school, they can explore all kinds of related careers for which their pathway is preparing them to enter. 

Recruitment and Retention 

A critical aspect of CTE courses and programs of study is that all students be granted access, not just the students and families who know about the offerings. This means that promotional efforts and curriculum choices are thoroughly explained to students and their families. Materials should be widely advertised and available in the languages that families speak. Parents and guardians should receive emails and updates, and physical pamphlets and other documentation should be sent home with every student.  

It should not be difficult, cumbersome, or complicated to enroll in specialized electives in which students learn about and explore career areas of their interest. They should know what is offered at the school and be encouraged to enroll. Furthermore, student subgroups who are typically underrepresented in certain career fields, should be given special consideration and extra encouragement to engage. Regardless of the population, attention should be given to retention rates and student achievement to ensure that one or more groups are not dropping out early or doing poorly in these important courses. 

Inclusive Curriculum 

Another strategy for providing an inclusive career and technical program or specialized elective  courses where students can explore careers is the actual curriculum. An inventory should be completed to evaluate the course materials to be sure that they are representative of all people. Everything from the pictures in the books, posters on the walls, and examples of the people who work within the related careers should be inclusive of all students and their communities. 

When underrepresented or marginalized students don’t see themselves in the curriculum materials or the people who work in certain careers, it’s far less likely that they will choose to engage in those pathways. One way that we can diversify the future workforce in any given industry is to initiate a process in schools whereby all students can see themselves represented in any of the CTE and speciality courses available. This provides a far more equitable scenario and requires a sensitive and strategic approach. 

Equipment and Technology 

One thing that we know about career and technical courses is that they often call for the use of specific equipment and technology. These resources can come at a cost to the school, although many schools have access to dedicated funding streams for this purpose. That said, these costs should not be prohibitive to participation, and if costs are passed to students and families, consideration should be given to any student who might not have the means to purchase the materials necessary to be included. 

Educators should create checklists of all the items that are needed by students, which might even include uniforms and things like boots, goggles, and any other accessories that go along with engaging in the course or program. The point is to make sure that students are not left out because they don’t have personal funds to purchase equipment and technology that are required for courses or programs. 

Work-Based Learning

A final aspect of equity when it comes to career and technical education courses is the need for transportation to off-site classroom spaces, field trips, work-based learning, and other programmatic features that don’t exist at the school. Many older students have cars of their own, but that’s not the case for our most vulnerable populations who either can’t afford a car or didn’t learn to drive. Schools must make arrangements for all students to access off-site events and experiences rather than limiting them to the students who have the means to transport themselves. 

There are many avenues to accomplish this, including public transit, fleet vehicles, school buses (both contracted and owned by the district), rented vans, district-owned vehicles, and more. Of course, the most ideal solution is when districts own their own buses and can repurpose them during the day to transport students to the various off-site learning environments. However, other creative solutions must take precedence over discluding groups who don’t have access to transportation. 

Conclusion 

Even if schools don’t have CTE programs or courses at the school site, it’s still within our leadership capacity to ensure that all kids who need these programs have access to them in other schools, facilities, and community organizations. In some regions around the world, CTE programs are offered by neighboring school systems. In many cases, local community colleges have programs that students can access for credit. Partnering with two- and four-year colleges and universities is always a great way to diversify course offerings and tap into programs and resources outside of the district. 

Furthermore, community support systems and regional organizations are often available to help with hands-on vocational and technical experiences. Developing a trusted group of industry partners so that students can get work-based learning time is within reach in many school communities. Finally, new and innovative approaches to guest speakers are emerging so that schools can schedule virtual events with leaders in every field to provide real-time and asynchronous presentations for students to explore careers by hearing firsthand from leaders around the world without leaving their classrooms. When we make equitable access to CTE programs and courses a priority, all students benefit from these rich and important experiences in school.

At MaiaLearning, we support career exploration, career planning, work-based learning and industry partners, 4-year academic planning, and many other aspects of career and technical education in schools worldwide. Schedule a demo to find out more.