Career and Technical Education (CTE)

Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Rhode Island is designed to provide students with the skills they need to be successful in the workforce.

CTE Spotlights

February is CTE Month!

This annual campaign strives to bring national awareness to the value and benefits that career and technical education can offer students. RIDE is excited to announce that beginning in February 2023, it plans to celebrate the achievements of CTE programs across Rhode Island by spotlighting specific programs’ accomplishments, outstanding CTE teachers, innovative work-based learning initiatives, strong industry partnerships, and/or other examples where students are engaged in rigorous experiences preparing them for high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand careers. Please email CTE@ride.ri.gov if you are interested in having CTE spotlighted in your school or district and RIDE will work with you to publicly share your story with the field. All spotlights can be found here.

  • In the email, please include a blurb that is no more than 200 words. The blurb can be about your specific program, instructor, work-based learning experience, industry partner, or anything else you would like to highlight about CTE. Please send any photo(s) or video(s) that you would like to go along with the blurb. The text must be sent in a format that is editable, such as a Google Doc or Microsoft Word.

What is CTE?

Career and technical education (CTE) programs help you learn the skills that will prepare you for a job. CTE programs consist of three or more courses that will help you earn an industry credential and prepare you to enter the workforce. High school students can take a wide range of CTE classes in everything from Agricultural Science to Marketing Media Communications.

Whether you are attending a traditional high school or are enrolled in a career and technical education center, CTE programs makes the connection between your academic studies and career aspirations clear. Rhode Island students are eligible to enroll in any CTE program across the state for free, even if it exists outside of your district.

HOW DO I TAKE CAREER EDUCATION CLASSES?

Rhode Islanders can access Career and Technical Education (CTE) through over 240 programs housed at CTE centers and high schools across the state.

  • You can enroll in any CTE program in the state for free.

  • Many high schools offer CTE classes. If you attend one of those schools, you can sign up for CTE classes just like any other class.

  • There are also CTE centers in every region of the state. These are schools that specialize in career education. If you would like to enroll in one of those schools, visit their website.

CTE Accountability Data

RIDE is pleased to share a data dashboard that makes CTE Accountability data easier to view, understand, and manipulate.

CTE improvements under Prepare ri

CTE is a core part of advancing PrepareRI's goal of improving youth career readiness. With that in mind, CTE will be improved in a number of ways under PrepareRI:

  • Aligning to high-skill, high-demand industries

    • PrepareRI aims to align all career education with high-skill, high-demand industries, so that students will be prepared for long-lasting and high-paying jobs. The Governor's Workforce Board determines these high-skill, high-demand industries.

    • RIDE is also working to better measure student outcomes from CTE programs, and share this data with stakeholders.

  • Updating standards

    • The CTE Board of Trustees and RIDE work with Industry Advisory committees to review and release updated standards for CTE programs. These new standards emphasize that all CTE programs should culminate in an industry-recognized credential.

  • Improving CTE funding

  • Increasing CTE teacher training

    • RIDE is partnering with Roger Williams University to create a new CTE teacher certification program in Rhode Island.

    • PrepareRI has begun hosting annual PrepareRI Summits, which include professional development for CTE teachers.