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  • Career and Technical Education (CTE)
    Welcome to Pittsburgh Public Schools CTE Page! 

  • CTE Provides Essential Skills for Essential Workers. 


    As our nation faces a health crisis like COVID-19, we become more acutely aware of CTE’s value in providing a skilled workforce.  CTE offers 16 programs that prepare PPS high school students for careers in high demand fields that are crucial to our infrastructure as a society. 

    Think about the jobs that have been designated as essential.

    • Healthcare
    • First Responders
    • Food Service
    • Childcare
    • Information Technology
    • Banking
    • Business
    • Construction
    • Internet Management
    • Entertainment Technology
    • Heating/Cooling
    • Machining
    • Automobile Repair
    • Personal Care Services
     

    The Career and Technical Education programs offered in Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) can help prepare high school students for one of these careers (higher skill level/higher pay).  PPS students can enroll in CTE beginning in 10th grade.  Through these programs, students learn 21st century job skills, earn industry certifications and college credits.   

    CTE Features:

    • Hands-on/minds-on learning
    • Interdisciplinary learning
    • Authentic problem solving
    • Industry partnerships
    • Early career experiences

    CTE Outcomes:

    • Increased graduation rates
    • Career and college readiness
    • Equity for underserved students
    • Student motivation and engagement
    • Academic and technical proficiency
    • Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication

     

    CTE Advantages:

    • CTE programs allow students to earn cost-free industry certifications.  Certifications provide students with a competitive advantage over their job-seeking peers after graduation. CTE offers the skills training needed to pass certification exams and covers the costs associated with the exam, saving parents thousands of dollars.

    • CTE programs give students the opportunity to connect with potential employers.
      Studets meet industry professionals who can help with their future career goals.  They also participate in work-based learning activities and field trips.

    • CTE is a College Prep program. CTE programs not only allow students to earn college credits while in high school through dual enrollment, but can reduce the overall cost of post-secondary education because students can earn college credits for the CTE coursework completed in high school.
    • CTE is STEM. CTE programs incorporate science, technology, engineering and mathematics, using an interdisciplinary approach.  

    • CTE also provides students with the 21st Century transferable skills. These vital skills are necessary both in the workforce and in post-secondary education (communication, critical thinking, computer skills, teamwork etc.). 

    Now, more than ever, CTE is the smart choice for a sustainable and successful future.  Apply Today!