Tennessee students taking career and technical education show more interest in health science careers according to new Comptroller report

A new report by the Tennessee Comptroller found Tennessee students are showing a strong interest in Health Science careers.The Health Science cluster is the most popular choice for students taking career and technical education (CTE) courses in both high school and in college and trade schools according to the Comptroller.Out of more than 74,000 high school students participating in CTE, more than 22 percent are taking health science classes. That’s more than 16,000 students.Health Science was also the most popular CTE program for college and trade school students, with nearly 30 percent of the more than 33,000 CTE postsecondary students choosing that cluster.With more than 11 million jobs, health science is one of the largest industries in the country. In Tennessee, the programs of study in this cluster include diagnostic services, emergency services, nursing services, sports and human performance, and therapeutic services.“The health science industry includes establishments ranging from small-town private practice physicians who employ only one medical assistant to busy inner city hospitals that provide thousands of diverse jobs. More than half of all non-hospital health service establishments employ fewer than five workers,” wrote the Tennessee Department of Education.Other popular CTE areas of study for high school students include agriculture, food, and natural resources, human services, and business management and administration. College and trade school students chose manufacturing as the second most popular CTE course followed by business management and administration, and transportation.There are 16 nationally recognized CTE career clusters and these represent 56 career pathways or programs of study that reflect statewide labor, economic, and postsecondary opportunities.The Comptroller’s report on CTE participation is the latest addition to a collection of short publications on CTE, data, and an interactive data dashboard. The Comptroller hopes these resources will help the public learn more about career and technical education and encourage students to consider taking CTE courses.