Career And Technical Education Program

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Career and Technical Education
Among the sterile field of the cardiac catheter laboratory, a student is observing over a cardiologist’s head while a surgical technician narrates their role in the standard ablation. This is just one of the many pivotal experiences that a student in Liberty High School’s Allied Health CTE program can expect. The student is on a path made available by the Western Maricopa Education Center and, if followed properly, that student can expect to graduate high school as a skilled worker in the medical field. Allied Health is just a small portion of a much bigger picture that provides ever growing opportunities to high school students prior to graduation.
Career and technical education courses are intended to prepare high school students to enter the work force in a skilled trade. It equips the students with the experience and education necessary to succeed in an average skill level job while maintaining the student’s interest. In an article that focuses on an aviation CTE program, a “senior policy analyst at the Morrison Institute, said that Career and Technical Education provides another opportunity for students who struggle in high school.” The assumption is that students who struggle in high school presumably do not want another four years of education to attain a bachelor’s degree. Until recently, schools have been excessively geared towards college readiness. The dogma was elementary school, high school, college, without exception. With this “one size fits all” education system in place, a different education course had to evolve. CTE courses offer a break from the tedious grind by introducing career readiness as an alternative. In place of the four years in a college, CTE programs gives student...

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...r] to stay on top of [her] grant applications on behalf of [her] students because it is what enables the most students to participate in the program. It is a constant struggle between encouraging [her] students to do well to prove the program’s worth and using the programs worth to earn more funding.” She uses the grants to buy supplies to teach the students in the program and help with costs.
Overall, CTE programs are a wildly beneficial option for high school students. They offer a chance for the student to have an inside glimpse into the field they are considering and allows them to solidify their decision or gives them the opportunity to change their career early on. Although cost is a major factor when it comes to enabling these programs, giving the student the option to learn and grow in an alternative environment may be worth the effort of raising the funds.

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