Five Best Practices for Career and Technical Education: Preparing students for what’s next
Across the country, demand for high-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) is rising, and for good reason. When designed well, CTE does more than prepare high school students for a first job. It provides practical opportunities for students to build durable skills, expand their social capital, and create pathways that connect their learning to meaningful contribution in their local communities. Based on emerging national research and on The Possible Zone’s partnership at Lawrence High School (LHS) – where we’ve designed and launched a healthcare-focused CTE course – here are five practices that make a difference in CTE:
- Design learning with industry, not just for industry.
The most effective CTE pathways treat employers, higher education, and community partners as co-developers. When nurses, technicians, and industry professionals help shape curriculum and projects, students encounter authentic problems, current tools, and real-world expectations. This alignment strengthens relevance and trust on both sides of the partnership. The Possible Zone collaborated with Lawrence General Hospital and local nurses to design modules, offer feedback on curriculum, and pressure-test the authenticity of learning experiences, ensuring that students aren’t “playing,” but are genuinely preparing for real application. Plus, co-construction helps strengthen pipelines from high school to industry pathways. - Anchor instruction in applied, project-based pedagogy.
High-quality CTE classrooms look less like lecture halls and more like studios or labs. Students learn through complex projects that mirror real work, requiring collaboration, communication, hands-on prototyping or building, and problem-solving. This applied approach accelerates technical skill development while embedding professional and durable skills that students will need in any field.
- Make durable skills explicit, visible, and assessable.
Skills like adaptability, teamwork, and opportunity recognition are not “soft.” They are essential. Strong CTE programs intentionally teach, practice, and assess these competencies alongside technical content, helping students understand how their learning travels across roles and industries. Students experiencing our CTE curriculum at LHS are introduced to a set of critical competencies that they reflect on throughout their learning. They select from multiple drafts and work samples to reflect on their progress, sharing growth and opportunities for improvement grounded in evidence. This process engenders ownership and builds skills of self-efficacy.
- Integrate AI and emerging technologies as tools, not shortcuts.
Rather than positioning AI as a replacement for thinking, TPZ and LHS use it to deepen learning. Students learn when and how to use new technologies responsibly, while still practicing human skills like creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. The Possible Zone is piloting a Navigator App that personalizes and gamifies students’ experiences, acting as a “co-pilot” alongside their teachers to assess progress, identify expanded opportunities, and point to new areas for exploration. - Build pathways that stack credentials and expand opportunity.
The strongest CTE models align secondary coursework with postsecondary credit, industry credentials, and work-based learning. This coherence reduces friction, increases persistence, and helps students see a future that extends beyond a single job and offers a ladder of advancement. For instance, at LHS, the Healthcare CTE course is designed to provide certifications like OSHA (safety certification), CPR-First Aid, Certified Nursing Assistant certification, and others that position young people for immediate roles and create on-ramps to deepen skills and access subsequent opportunities, all of which supports economic mobility and agency.
When these practices come together, CTE becomes a bridge between education, industry, and community, positioning young people not only to access careers of the future, but to shape them.
– February is Career and Technical Education Month. Author Meg Riordan, Ph.D., is Chief Learning Officer at The Possible Zone, an experiential youth development nonprofit headquartered in Boston where high school students develop in-demand career skills, key mindsets, and valuable networks that strengthen their readiness for post-high school education and the workforce.
