Governor Lee recognizes career readiness programs during CTE Month

Governor Bill Lee visiting a CTE program (Photo by the Tennessee Department of Education)

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued a proclamation recognizing February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month to highlight the opportunities CTE programs provide to help students develop the essential skills for career readiness.

Tennessee's CTE programs offer students pathways to explore various careers, earn college credits, obtain industry-recognized credentials, and participate in work-based learning experiences. These initiatives are designed to ensure that students are prepared for both higher education and the evolving workforce demands.

"CTE Month is an important time to recognize how career and technical education prepares all students for postsecondary success through career exploration, college credit and industry credential courses, work-based learning, and more," said Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds

The department is encouraging educators, students, parents, and community members to participate in CTE Month activities and to share their experiences and success stories on social media platform with the hashtags #CTEMonth, #InnovativeSchoolModelsTN, and #AcceleratingTN.

According to a news release from the department, work-based learning CTE programs saw enrollment increase for the sixth straight year during the 2023-24 school year, with more than 22 thousand students earning more than 41 thousand credits.

The department says more than 200 courses were additionally revised during the 2023-24 school year to include concepts in artificial intelligence, data analysis, problem-based learning, and the engineering design process.

For more information on Tennessee's CTE programs and related events during February, visit the Tennessee Department of Education's official website.