Celebrating Career and Technical Education Month

February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month—a time when school communities across the country celebrate the programs that prepare students for work and careers in the skilled trades.

Students who attend Career and Technical Education programs earn both career-specific technical skills and other valuable real-world practices, such as public speaking, time management and working collaboratively. These skills give our students a host of opportunities, whether they pursue college, continue their education at a technical school or head right into the workforce.

Additionally, they are on a path toward some of today’s high-skill, high-wage and in-demand careers.

Across the region, more than a quarter of high school juniors and seniors are enrolled in Career & Technical Education at HFM BOCES, our partner in this learning. In Fort Plain alone, nearly 30 of our students are learning this school year in one of more than a dozen diverse CTE pathways offered by the BOCES. Learn more about HFM BOCES and its Career & Technical Education offering for high school students.

In their voices

Career and Technical Education Month is a great time to hear from our students about why they have chosen CTE and what they hope it will mean for their futures.

Here’s what just a few of the juniors and seniors now attending Career & Technical Education at HFM BOCES this school year had to say about learning in these programs:

“My sister also did this program and I thought it would be something I would like, too. This has given me lots of experiences and space to think about what I might want to do after high school.” — Senior Courtney Euler, Veterinary and Animal Science

“I just fell in love with the program and would recommend it to anyone. I am really looking forward to learning more in my internship with Brown’s Collision and am planning to follow through with this as a career.” — Senior Ayden Hart, Auto Body Repair

“I want to go into a career in art and this has been a great way to get a jump start on it.” — Senior Matthew Paul, Digital Multimedia

“This is something I always said I was going to do. It’s something I have a passion for and am good at. This program is helping me get set up for the future.” — Junior Nevaeh Rivers, Cosmetology

“I knew this was something I could do well with. With these skills and the experiences I am having, I can see myself working in a salon after I graduate and maybe even owning my own salon in the future.” — Senior Delana Tracki, Cosmetology

“I have always been interested in helping people and finding ways to give back. In this program and as a patient care technician, I have had a chance to learn a lot of things and now have a much better idea about the options available to me.” — Senior Marissa Wilder, Medical Assisting