The month of February celebrates career, technical and agricultural education (CTAE). CTAE Month is a public awareness campaign designed to recognize the value, achievements and accomplishments of CTAE programs across the country. 

CTAE directly prepares students for high-wage, high-demand professions by educating them about and for the careers. The programs cover various fields, including health care, audio & visual technology, marketing, finance and many more.

“The mission of CTAE is to educate Georgia’s future workforce by engaging students in experiences that will prepare them for workplace success,” The Georgia Department of Education states. “Through CTAE, students see the relevance of their high school efforts to their future career goals.”

The curriculum is preparing Georgia’s students for their future, whether that is college, beginning a career, registered apprenticeships or the military. Each Program Concentration has Career Pathways with three or four specialized courses developed to provide students with rigorous core elements, performance standards and skills necessary after high school graduation. With over 130 pathways, students can select a series of courses to complete based on their interests.

Julia Szlek, a sophomore at Lambert High School, is in the Teaching as a Profession pathway. 

“The teaching pathway has allowed me to learn so much more about myself and has also allowed me to be creative through group projects and individual study,” Szlek said.

Upon completion of a Career Pathway, students have the opportunity to earn certifications as well as course credit for an internship or mentorship outside of the classroom.

“The best thing about the Teaching as a Profession pathway is the semester internship you get to do with the local elementary and middle schools,” Szlek explained. “It’s so fun and allows you to immerse yourself in real-life experiences, meet new people and learn good social skills that you will need in professional careers.”

For more information about Internship/Mentorship Forsyth, see this article.

The purpose of CTAE Month is to raise awareness of the role that CTAE has in readying learners for college and career success. CTAE Month is organized by the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE).

Here are some ways proposed by the Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education to support the CTAE Community this February:

• Host a school visit and invite members of your local community to learn about your school’s strong CTAE programs firsthand.
• Tell your story by contacting your local media and telling them about the innovative work that is ongoing in your CTAE classroom or school.
• Contact business leaders in your community and let them know about the important relationship between CTAE schools and local businesses.
• Contact your local policymakers and urge them to publicize CTAE Month in your community.
• Download our CTAE Month logo for use with any print or digital outreach

To discover more ways you can get involved visit acteonline.org, and check out #CTAEdelivers on Twitter for the latest updates.