About CTE

CTE Advisory Committee  |  CTE Resources  |  Return on Investment Info

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs allow students to earn high school credit, college credit, and industry certifications.  Our programs are rigorous and prepare students for college, yet give them the skills in which Florida employers are looking. 

CTE courses offer students the ability to gain specific, practical and professional skills that can mean the difference on a college application or the fast-track into a first job. Our career programs incorporates challenging academic content standards leading to an industry-recognized credential or certificate in addition to the student’s high school diploma by:

  • Empowering students for effective participation in the Florida workforce and beyond;
  • Teaching students the high demand skills needed to get a job, to cross-train for different positions, or retrain for a new career; and
  • Preparing students for more than a good paying job – it serves as the beginning of a career path.

Okaloosa County School District students have an opportunity to earn industry certifications in our Career and Technical Education programs. Students who earn an industry certification that can articulate for postsecondary credit save money for tuition and fees by completing these programs in high school.  Exactly how much can be saved?  See our Return on Investment for industry certifications to the general public and see what certifications we offer.

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As Career and Technical Education educators, we prepare students to explore, compete, and succeed as lifelong learners in careers that are available in our area as well as the entire state of Florida.  Our CTE programs provide hands-on, work-based learning that is relevant to student interests and responsive to the needs of employers and the economy.  We provide Career and Technical Education programs to students in middle and high school with rigorous career pathways for all facets of the workforce.  

Career and Technical Education programs provide unique opportunities to engage students in an enormous variety of subjects, incorporating academic, creative and technical skills, with the specific goal, nowhere else represented in education, of preparing students for life.  Students participating in CTE programs learn through hands-on experience and practice under the tutelage of qualified, industry certified instructors.  

These programs help prepare our youth for a full range of high-wage, high skill, and high demand jobs. Students in our programs can earn nationally recognized industry certifications that provide a solid foundation for moving forward — whether students plan on entering the workforce or continuing their education. Your future can start right now. Take the first step: check out the CTE programs and see which one is right for you.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) offers a variety of programs at different high schools around the county. 

  • Architecture & Construction
  • Arts, A/V Technology & Communication
  • Education & Training
  • Engineering & Technology Education
  • Health Science
  • Hospitality & Tourism
  • Human Services
  • Information Technology
  • Law, Public Safety & Security
  • Manufacturing
  • Marketing, Sales & Service
  • Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Through these programs, students can choose to continue on to further their education or go straight into the workforce at better-than-average wages.

According to Applied Education Systems, 

  • 93% of CTE students graduate high school, which is 10% higher than average
  • 78% of CTE graduates enroll in post-secondary education full-time
  • CTE students are 50% less likely to drop out than non-CTE students
  • Technical and applied science graduates earn $2,000 to $11,000 more per year than those with a bachelor’s degree
  • 1/3 of all high school dual enrollment credits come from CTE courses (600,000 total)
  • 82% of CTE students say they’re “satisfied” with career opportunities
  • 80% of CTE students say CTE classes helped them “know where they were headed”
  • 76% of CTE students say learning about a career cluster helped them get better grades
  • 64.7% of post-secondary CTE students enroll in public two-year institutions
  • 45% of CTE students say it used real-world examples to help them understand classwork

If students decide to pursue a college degree, the skills and certifications earned through the CTE program will not only make coursework easier, they'll lead to better part-time jobs.

Many of the CTE classes qualify for the weighted 5-point and 4.5 point scale, just like AP and Honors classes.

So what are you waiting for? Check out the CTE programs and see which institute is right for you.

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