Brief Postsecondary CTE

Postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) is a broad term that encompasses academics, technical skills and on the job training to prepare students to enter the workforce upon completion of a program. In postsecondary education, there are a variety of CTE programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials, postsecondary certificates and two-year degrees offered through community and technical colleges and other postsecondary institutions. 

There is evidence that middle-skill jobs – those that require some postsecondary education, but not a four-year degree increase economic mobility by providing career ladders and sustainable wages. Developing middle skills pathways provides students with the opportunity to succeed in the developing labor market by expanding career opportunities that allows to obtain stackable credential and being able acquire specific skills that are in demand by regional employers.

As demand for career ready and skilled workers increases, states are looking into the development and expansion of high quality CTE programs in postsecondary education to support more students on the path to middle-skill jobs. 

State policy options that support postsecondary CTE programs and students include CTE-focused approaches to funding and appropriations, career pathways, and student supports.

• Funding and Appropriations – State appropriations and financial aid programs that support students seeking access to postsecondary CTE programs.
• Career Pathways – Actions states are taking to provide meaningful, actionable information to students and families about career pathways in postsecondary CTE.
• Student Supports – Investments in student support programs that boost successful outcomes for students in postsecondary CTE programs. 

Workforce Development

States are focusing on high-value credentials that lead to future employment and upskilling—giving workers new skills to meet new workforce demands—with greater transparency around the skills and knowledge required for in-demand jobs. In this time of rapid workplace change, states are requiring postsecondary institutions to provide timely, useful information about degree options and pathways that prepare students for jobs needed in their communities.

State Examples

Ensuring that students have information about available credentials and their potential workplace value is a growing area of legislative activity.

• Connecticut requires the Office of Workforce Strategy to establish standards to designate certain credentials as “credentials of value.” These standards may include (1) meeting the workforce needs of Connecticut’s employers, (2) completion rates, (3) net cost, (4) whether the credential transfers to or stacks onto another credential of value, (5) average time to completion, and (6) types of employment opportunities and earnings available upon completion. The state’s chief workforce officer is to submit a biennial report about (1) in-demand credential and skills that lead to quality jobs, and (2) models and examples of associate degree programs that result in students earning an industry-recognized credential in twelve months that is a pathway to one or more bachelor’s degree programs.
• Michigan created the Michigan Reconnect Grant Act providing a financial aid program for residents seeking associate degrees of industry-recognized credentials that are portable and sought or accepted by multiple employers within an industry for purposes of recruitment, hiring or promotion.

Credentials

With nearly 1 million unique credentials in the U.S., including diplomas, certificates, degrees, apprenticeships and licenses, it is often difficult for a student to understand the courses and programs of study or training they need to take to be prepared for their target career. Moreover, employers lack clarity about what skills workers bring to a job, and educators are challenged to keep up with changing requirements in the workplace. While 45 states have set attainment goals, most lack robust systems of information related to the credentials available within a state, including the credential program’s length and cost, competencies and job skills included in the credential, career pathway information, and earnings and employment outcomes.

State Examples

State legislators are acting to ensure that information about credentials can be easily accessed, compared, and connected to other education and workforce data.

• Arkansas created a Higher Education Consumer Guide designed for use by prospective students and parents and legal guardians of prospective students at a state-supported institution of higher education, to include retention and graduation rates; cost of tuition; average amount borrowed and loan default rate; average number of semesters for completion of an associate's or bachelor's credential at the institution; job placement of students within the first three years of graduation; and information about income of college alumni.
• Kansas enacted the Students Right To Know Act to provide information on postsecondary education options and information to each student or each student's parents regarding degree prospectus, training information program report, and other information relevant to students understanding of potential earnings.
• Kentucky requires the Council on Postsecondary Education to annually compile data on in-demand jobs within the state and for each public postsecondary instruction, and each campus of the Community and Technical College System, to compile data relating to student successes and costs, and requires the Council to develop a delivery method to ensure access to information by prospective students.

Student Supports

Today’s college students are more diverse than any previous generation by age, race, and income level. They are increasingly mobile, many live off campus, and they often have work and family responsibilities in addition to their educational goals.

State Examples

Helping today’s student navigate available assistance with non-tuition costs such as housing, food, childcare, and transportation is a growing area of state legislative activity.

• Maine enacted SB 1072 that allows a center or regional adult education program and a community college or university to enter a memorandum of understanding to provide education programs to CTE and adult students, including how they will align schedules and provide credit toward successful completion. Funding for the courses is included as part of the General Fund appropriation for general purpose aid for local schools.
• Colorado enacted the Economic Mobility Program within the Department of Public Health and Environment, authorizes the Department of Higher Education to contract for the use of an online platform to assist students with accessing public benefits.
• Tennessee established Tennessee Work Ready Opportunity Program (T-WROP) to assess and certify adult displaced workers’ and students’ career readiness using nationally recognized assessments such as the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate. In addition, each public postsecondary institution is directed to develop admission and articulation policies for students who earn a career readiness credential. By January 1, 2026, the commissioner of labor and workforce development and the commissioner of education shall submit a report detailing the impacts of the T-WROP.