COLUMBUS, Ohio — More students are choosing a different path after high school.
It’s one that leads straight into the workforce. Career and technical education programs are seeing a surge in enrollment as teens look for hands-on training, certifications and good paying jobs without the burden of college debt.
These programs can range from advanced manufacturing to healthcare.
The Thomas B. Fordham Institute reports that about one fourth of the state’s high schoolers took career and technical education during the 2022-23 school year. That’s up from one in six students a decade ago. Aaron Churchill, research director for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, said state leaders are coming to an understanding that not everybody is going to college after high school. He said right now, about half of 18 to 24 years olds in Ohio are enrolled at a college or university.
“We’re seeing a lot of incentives from state leadership to promote career and technical education across the state. There’s a lot of investment that’s happening in career technical education we as a state spend $700-800 million per year on career technical education for students, and we are making significant investments in upgrading CTE,” said Churchill.
Churchill said he thinks students are seeing the value of these programs and see how they can get into the job market right out of high school. He said Gov. Mike DeWine approved $300 million to help schools upgrade equipment for CTE programs.
Many of the career tech programs are provided through a joint vocational school district at a regional career tech center. Churchill said it’s important that the state makes sure these programs are high-quality to make sure students are fully prepared when they enter the work market.
Some of the top career tech programs focus on high-demand fields like health care, information technology, skilled trades and advanced manufacturing.