The impacts of career-technical education on high school labor market success

CTE has transformed its curricula, which may be evident by declining enrollments in auto mechanics and materials production as countered with higher enrollments in courses such as health occupations and computer technology.

“In response, CTE has transformed its curricula, which may be evident by declining enrollments in auto mechanics and materials production as countered with higher enrollments in courses such as health occupations and computer technology (Bishop & Mane, 2004).”

More research is needed to investigate the effect of engaging in CTE curricula on student outcomes such as postsecondary education attainment and occupational earnings.

“If the curricula of vocational education and academic education have historically been separate (focusing on students with different objectives), and if the two programs have recently merged in a time where the accountability of schools is of increased focus and the attainment of postsecondary education is increasingly valued, then more research is needed to investigate the effect of engaging in”

Bishop and Mane (2004) found that students engaging in CTE courses one-sixth of their time in high school earned 12% more earnings after one year of graduating high school and 8% more seven years later.

“They found students engaging in CTE courses one-sixth of their time in high school earned 12% more earnings after one year of graduating high school and 8% more seven years later.”

CTE concentrators often have higher wages than their college preparatory and general counterparts.

“Research by Rojewski (1997), Mane (1999), and Bishop and Mane (2004) has demonstrated that CTE concentrators often have higher wages than their college preparatory and general counterparts.”

Prior research on labor market outcomes of the CTE track has resulted in inconclusive findings.

“Prior research on labor market outcomes (e.g., occupational earnings) of the CTE track has resulted in inconclusive findings (Bishop & Mane, 2004;Mane, 1999;Meer, 2007).”