The School District of Philadelphia is celebrating Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, a national initiative that celebrates the District’s CTE programs and highlights CTE teachers and students. The District’s CTE programs offer students the opportunity to develop critical skills through a combination of classes and hands-on learning experiences, which allow them to apply academics to real-world problems in specific fields.

“As a district, we are committed to making sure that our students graduate with the knowledge, skills and experience that will prepare them for post-secondary success,” said Superintendent William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D. “We are proud to offer strong CTE programs that advance students’ hard and soft skills, career readiness and trade exposure through hands-on opportunities and training.”

The District offers 120 total CTE programs throughout more than 30 high schools and serves nearly 6,000 students. Students enrolled in these programs acquire both technical and academic skills by industry professionals, using state-of-the-art equipment in over 40 occupational areas. Students also have the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications related to their respective career focus.

Some of the highlights and initiatives the District has made in career and technical education in the last few years include:

• Partnering with organizations to best meet the needs of industries, including Community College of Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Bimbo, PECO and Fringe Arts.
  • C.H.A.M.P. (Culinary & Hospitality Advancement Mentorship Program) is the District’s newest mentorship program created in partnership with FringeARTS and presented by PECO.
• Launching various different CTE initiatives, such as career pathway programs, apprenticeships and internships, including the newest Philadelphia Region Workforce Pilot Program, a workforce development program between the School District of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Navy Yard.
• Adding four unique new programs over the last five years: the new Hospitality and Solar programs at Frankford High School, Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (AFNR) at The U School and Rehabilitation Aide at both William L. Sayre High School and Kensington Health and Sciences.
• Offering students more than 50 different types of industry-recognized credentials or certificates.
• Providing 2020 and 2021 CTE graduates with the opportunity to earn the industry-recognized certifications that they may have missed due to the COVID-19 closures that impacted our schools.

CTE Month is part of an annual, nationwide program organized by Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). The event is held each February to celebrate CTE and raise awareness of the role that CTE has in readying our students for careers and college. Throughout the month, schools across the District will share their highlights and celebrate the achievements of their students through the District’s website and social media. There will also be a series of school-based celebration events.

For more information on opportunities for students in Career and Technical Education (CTE), please visit our website.