Career and Technical Education in Missouri
Missouri’s CTE Initiatives
By: Andrew Diemer & Ashley N. Donaldson
Since ascending to office, Governor Mike Parson and his administration have advocated for Missouri workforce development programs. In his recent State of the State address, he argued that Missouri should, “move away from the stigma that not having a college degree is a failure, when in fact there are many excellent education and job training opportunities”. Career and Technical education is part of the Governor’s and Missouri’s answer to that stigma. In many school districts around Missouri, there are Career and Technical education opportunities for high school students, totally free of cost, and these programs have been shown to have positive outcomes for the students that enroll in them.
What is Career and Technical Education?
Career and Technical Education (oftentimes referred to simply as CTE) are the courses and pathways that prepare adults and students alike to enter the workforce in an industry-specific area. CTE provides knowledge and training that is directly linked to a career field and often affords students the ability to take on jobs after graduation or completing the CTE coursework.
CTE in Missouri
In Missouri, CTE is widespread. Currently, there are 57 school districts across Missouri that host an “Area Career Center”. These Centers offer courses in Agriculture, Business, Health Sciences, Family and Consumer Services, Technical Sciences, and Technology to local high school students and adults that are continuing their education. Not all Centers may offer the same courses (they can vary depending on size) but all courses are free of cost for students. That being said, students that attend these Centers must still also meet the requirements for graduation at their high school.
(source: Missouri Department of Education
In addition to these Area Career Centers, CTE courses are offered in 444 (of 567) Missouri school districts at local high schools. In 2019, there were 126,843 secondary students in Missouri that participated in career and technical education. This equates to roughly one in two public high school students participating in some form of CTE based on the total number of students in Missouri’s public high schools. Of the students participating, 27,983 were classified as Career and Technical Concentrators (these are students who earned one or more credits in a department-approved career education program area) and 50% were enrolled in STEM-related fields. In fact, as shown below, Missouri had the highest percentage of STEM-related career cluster concentrators of any state in the U.S. in 2016. Furthermore, 9,055 Missouri high school students received an Industry-Recognized Credential (IRC) in 2019 as part of their completion. These IRCs are industry certifications often sought by employers when seeking new applicants for open positions.
Source: U.S. Department of Education
CTE Outcomes
Overall, research from across the nation indicates the outcomes for students in CTE programs is positive. In 2019, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) reported that 95% of CTE concentration completers were either working, continuing their education, or in the military following graduation. Missouri also reported that around two-thirds of these concentrators are currently working in their area of study. Further research indicates that CTE concentrators are more likely to be employed eight years after graduation than non-concentrators. In examining studies across the nation, research in Massachusetts found that students that participate in CTE are more likely to graduate on time. Another study found that students enrolling in Career Academies (high schools that combine academics with career development opportunities) saw slightly higher average earning than those than their counterparts.
Conclusions
CTE is an economical option that helps to prepare adults and students to enter the workforce by offering industry-specific knowledge and education. CTE is offered on a wide basis throughout the state and often aids those enrolled by providing direct opportunities for employment. As Governor Parson and others have argued, the stigma surrounding CTE as a lesser form of education needs to be abated. The pursuit of a college degree is an option for additional education and may be the right choice for some, but it is not the only option. Overall, CTE is another viable and vital source of training and education for Missouri.
For more information on CTE in Missouri, a map with links to all Area Career and Centers can be found here.