February is Career and Technical Education Month, a time for students, parents, educators and others to take a closer look at training opportunities available across Michigan.

High schools, colleges and some universities offer CTE programs that are aligned with in-demand, high-wage careers in fields such as business, information technology, health care, hospitality and manufacturing. Most high school programs also offer early college credit opportunities to provide a seamless transition to postsecondary education.

CTE offers students hands-on learning experiences that can be applied to real-world training and career pathways. Throughout the month, individuals of all ages, including students and those seeking new career opportunities, are encouraged to explore programs that prepare them for successful career entry, advancement and/or continuing education.

Coincidentally, the best career and technical students from across the Upper Peninsula are competing in various skills categories today in the annual SkillsUSA competition hosted by Bay College in Escanaba.

Student compete in automotive, computer maintenance technology, precision machining technology and welding. Bay will award four $2,500 scholarships to students who place first and four $1,000 scholarships to those who place second in the overall categories.

During the 2022-2023 school year, 108,874 secondary students — or 24% of all secondary students — were enrolled in CTE programs, with 95.9% of CTE concentrators graduating from high school. In 2021-2022, 95.4% of CTE concentrator graduates placed into continuing education, employment, military or national service, as measured about six months after high school graduation.

“Career and Technical Education is an integral part of the pre-K-16 education system that provides a natural link from the classroom to the workplace,” State Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice said. “Tens of thousands of Michigan students benefit annually from the guidance and training that they receive in the classroom to take that next step into successful and high-demand careers. I am very proud of the work of CTE educators in our schools and the highly skilled graduates that our schools develop in and for Michigan.”

For more information, go to Michigan’s free online career exploration tool, Pathfinder, at https://pathfinder.mitalent.org/.

Additional high school CTE resources and information may be found on MDE’s website at https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/octe. Or check out MiSchoolData.org, the state’s official source for pre-kindergarten, K-12, postsecondary and workforce data that helps residents, educators and policymakers make informed decisions to improve student success.

Michigan also offers Early Middle Colleges, an MDE-approved five-year program of study. EMCs work closely with postsecondary partners to provide students with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and one or more of the following: 60 transferable college credits, an associate degree, a professional certification, the Michigan Early Middle College Association technical certificate and/or participation in a registered apprenticeship.

Postsecondary institutions in Michigan have 370 qualifying CTE programs, offering a certificate or associate degree. During the 2021-2022 school year, there were 113,821 students enrolled in these postsecondary programs in the state.