Top 10 Reasons Parents Should Learn about Career Tech (Even if Their Child is College-Bound)

Since 2012, At The Core has been proud to bang the drum loudly for ALL the educational options available to our children, whether it’s AP, IB, electives (both inside and outside the high school), career tech, academies, etc. We encourage families to view those choices through the lens of preparing their individual child for their future by exploring their strengths and interests.

At The Core has partnered with several of Ohio’s career technical education (CTE) schools to bring families the latest information about those options in our College & Career Coffee Chats. These experiential opportunities may be during high school (usually during junior and senior year) or after graduation as postsecondary education.

Why should all Ohio families learn about the options available with CTE in one of our chats?

1) Parents need to know about ALL the options available in order to guide their children.

It’s impossible to guide them well when we don’t really understand every option (and the pros and cons). Career tech can be easy to overlook.

2) Opportunities in career tech get kids out from behind a desk and allow them to explore (using their hands and minds) an interest they may not explore anywhere else.

There are career tech lab programs for so many fields! Love animals? Look at Zoo School, equine science, veterinary assisting, wildlife and resource management. On the computer all the time? Research cybersecurity, application development, digital design. There are dozens of more examples like healthcare, engineering, robotics, business, hospitality, public safety, construction, welding, and many more.

3) Career tech schools connect the dots between skills, experiences, and careers for students.

Does your child think engineering might be their thing? Well, what do careers in engineering really look like? Students move beyond the hypothetical to getting their hands on those job skills and connecting to real jobs and professionals in the industry.

4) Students learn about careers they never knew existed. CTE is uniquely positioned at the intersection of school and business/industry.

They focus on the latest in-demand career fields from healthcare to robotics. CTE teachers are required to have experience in their field. They bring real-world job knowledge to the classroom. Local industry come to CTE schools to educate students about career paths.

5) Career tech students are encouraged to join the student organization for their program.

Heard of HOSA, DECA, BPA, FFA, etc.? These are career technical student organizations that offer leadership development and competitive events for students to encourage growth, maturity, and challenge outside the classroom.

6) Parents learn about how students earn college credits and industry credentials.

Students earn valuable, employable credentials. They also can save money on college with the credits they earn.

7) Career tech programs build a student’s life skills in time management, critical thinking, and problem solving while helping them build responsibility and advocating for themselves.

The challenges in a CTE program are different from the typical high school classroom, and students are encouraged to seek creative solutions and to ask questions.

8) Some of today’s career tech students graduate and enter the world of work. Many others go to college.

Today’s students are not pigeonholed…instead, each program is a launch pad to what’s the best next step for each student based on their personal goals.

9) Once a parent learns about the opportunities offered by career tech schools (either in high school or after graduation), they can spread the word to others.

This important step helps every family connect their children to a path to success (especially in a world where it’s easy to miss something important like career tech).

10) Why not? Knowledge is always a good thing.

Our College & Career Chats in partnership with several Ohio schools are available for viewing on our webpage. Be sure to find the school that serves your school district. If your district is not among those listed, check out your high school’s course catalog, visit your CTE’s schools website, and reach out to the folks there.

Wondering about career tech programs for students done with high school? High school graduates have many opportunities with Ohio’s Career Technical Centers. Watch “What’s Next After High School?”.

Updated 4/2025

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