Career Technical Education (CTE)

Agriculture is California’s most important economic industry and careers in Agriculture and Natural Resources are many and varied.  Careers range from turf management at municipal golf courses, operating avocado ranches, and working as fish and game wardens to researchers in Biological Sciences.  Employees in this industry might work in a lab, on a farm, ranch, dairy, orchard,  greenhouse, plant nursery, or in a veterinarian's office. 

Those with a passion for music, painting, drawing, dancing, or performing can tap into the opportunities in the Arts, Media, and Entertainment industry. This Sector offers careers in front of or behind the scenes. In addition, companies need multimedia production and graphic designers to create websites and game designers and programmers to keep gamers playing.

 

Of all the career industries, the Arts, Media, and Entertainment sector requires perhaps the greatest cross-disciplinary interaction because the work in this sector has a propensity to be largely project-based, requiring both independent work and interdependent management skills for career success. New technologies are also constantly reshaping the boundaries and skill sets of many arts career pathways. Consequently, core arts-sector occupations demand constantly varying combinations of artistic imagination, metaphoric representation, symbolic connections, and technical skills. Successful career preparation involves both broad and in-depth academic and technical preparation as well as the cultivation of twenty-first-century skill assets, such as flexibility, problem-solving abilities, and interpersonal skills. Careers in the Arts, Media, and Entertainment sector fall into four general pathways: Design, Visual, and Media Arts; Performing Arts; Production and Managerial Arts; and Game Design and Integration.

The Building and Construction Trades industry needs people who can work with their heads and hands to design and build office buildings, hospitals, shopping malls, and housing communities. Once architects come up with a design, it takes a team of skilled tradespeople like plumbers, electricians, masons, roofers, framers, and more to turn it into a finished structure. Craftsmen in this industry sector need a strong math background, good technology skills, and solid on-the-job experience.

 

The sector encompasses four career pathways: Cabinetry, Millwork, and Woodworking; Engineering and Heavy Construction; Mechanical Systems Installation and Repair; and Residential and Commercial Construction. These pathways emphasize processes, systems, and the way in which structures are built.

It does not matter what a company makes, sells or services, every company needs people to account for and manage their money and their business. A career in Business and Finance offers exciting challenges, good pay, and a solid future. Education and training in this industry will help students acquire many marketable, real-world skills. If students are good with numbers, enjoy working with the public, and want opportunities to advance in today’s global workplace, check out options in this Sector.

 

Persons trained in fields such as business management, international trade, and various financial services specialties (e.g., accounting, banking, and investing) will find that their skills are highly marketable. Students master basic business principles and procedures before proceeding to the career path specializations. The specializations emphasize concepts of accounting and finance, including computer applications, taxes, investments, and asset management as well as pathways in international business and business management. Because almost every business and organization has a financial and management component, students will find that opportunities exist in many career paths in addition to those in business and finance. 

Those who choose careers in the Education, Child Care and Family Services Pathway are motivated to do so by their desire to teach and help others. The caring, capable and committed professionals who work in this industry educate students, help get young children off to a great start, and offer a helping hand to those in need. Because this sector grows as quickly as the population expands, the demand for qualified people will remain strong.

 

The Education, Child Development, and Family Services sector provides students with the academic and technical preparation to pursue high-skill, high-demand careers in these related and growing industries. The sector encompasses four distinct, yet interrelated, career pathways: Child Development, Consumer Services, Education, and Family and Human Services. The Child Development pathway provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to pursue careers. In child care and related fields, and the Education pathway emphasizes the preparation of students to become teachers. The Consumer Services pathway gives students the employment and management skills needed in careers that involve helping consumers. The Family and Human Services pathway provides students with skills needed for careers related to family and social services. 

With the increase in public investments in renewable energy, clean energy generation, energy efficiency, and the Smart Grid, career opportunities in this industry will continue to grow. In fact, jobs in energy and the environment could triple over the next decade. Energy employers need skilled workers for traditional energy jobs as well as future energy-related positions.      

 

People are obsessed with energy...how to make it more available, how to make it less expensive, how to use it more efficiently, and how to use it without hurting the environment. There are four circuits to this pathway: Electromechanical Installation and Maintenance, Energy and Environmental Technology, Public Utilities, and Residential and Commercial Energy and Utilities. These four options lead to hundreds of exciting careers - everything from installing the wiring in a new high-rise to maintaining the electrical grid for the entire state. The Energy Efficiency & Utilities (EE&U) sector employs technicians in electrical, mechanical, and construction jobs as well as architects, engineers, business managers, sales/marketing professionals, and public policy specialists. 

The world’s future will be propelled by ideas that will be developed by those working in the Engineering & Architecture industry sector. As the population continues to grow, engineers and architects will be called upon to imagine the future and turn it into reality. This sector is designed to provide a foundation in engineering, architecture, and design. There are four pathways that emphasize real-world, occupationally relevant experiences of significant scope and depth: Architectural Design; Engineering Technology; Engineering Design; and Environmental Engineering.

Interior designers enhance the function, safety, and aesthetics of interior space. They work with colors, textures, furniture, lighting, and space planning for both public and private buildings. Fashion designers study fashion trends, sketch designs select colors and fabrics, and oversee the final production of the clothing and accessories they create.

 

For people with a great sense of style and a strong creative drive, this pathway can take you to amazing places. If you dream about designing clothing or starting your own fashion line, you may want to check out Fashion Design, Manufacturing, and Merchandising to see if it suits your style. On the other hand, if you see yourself designing stunning living spaces, Interior Design, Furnishings, and Maintenance may be where you can see yourself

Caring students looking for a “recession” proof career path will want to explore healthcare opportunities available in Health Science and Medical Technology. Surprisingly doctors and nurses comprise less than 40% of healthcare professionals, while allied health professionals make up an estimated 60% of the US healthcare workforce. Because almost all health professions are experiencing shortages, careers in this Pathway offer promising futures.

 

That means the demand for health care professionals is strong...and getting stronger every day. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys caring for other people, now is the perfect time to check out the Health Science and Medical Technology career pathway. This pathway can lead you to many different specialties, including Nursing, Biotechnology Research and Development, Diagnostic Services, Health Informatics (using cutting-edge technology to store and retrieve medical data), Support Services, and Physical Therapy. 

California is a top destination for people from around the globe. They come to visit the state’s mountains and beaches, wine country, and unique entertainment destinations. Consequently, there are many and varied career opportunities in this sector. From chef or concierge, tour guide or park ranger, travel agent or museum director this industry offers job opportunities with a passion for food, travel, sports, or nutrition.

 

If you like the idea of mixing business and pleasure, you can follow this path to a rewarding career where you’ll literally create excitement for a living.  The Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation pathway leads to three different journeys. For people interested in the healthy side of eating, there’s Food Science, Dietetics, and Nutrition; for those who’d rather focus on the fun side of food, there’s Food Service and Hospitality; and for people who want to help folks enjoy their holiday, there’s Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation.

From conquering disease to eliminating hunger, from improving education to protecting the environment- information technology is key to finding positive solutions. Information and Communication Technology spans almost all areas of business. Qualified Information and Communication Technology professionals are in high demand. Computers are everywhere in our professional and personal lives, and people who can help those computers communicate with us--and with each other--are in high demand. If you want to know computers inside and out, the Information Technology Industry career pathway might be perfect for you.

 

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have expanded the need for employees who can understand, manage, and support rapidly emerging, evolving, and converging computer, software, networking, telecommunications, internet,  and information systems. Essential skills for careers in the ICT sector include understanding systems that support the management and flow of data, the ability to work well and communicate clearly, and the ability to manage projects efficiently. The ICT sector meets national criteria for high demand, high wages, and high skills and provides ’ students with excellent opportunities for interesting work and good pay. 

From cars to contact lenses, lipstick to bicycles this industry sector creates some of the best products and highest paying skilled jobs in the workforce. While some manufacturing jobs are declining, high-tech manufacturing is hard at work creating products to solve many of today’s most challenging problems. Because robots and automation take care of the repetitive work, today’s manufacturing employees have more challenging and interesting job assignments.

 

No matter which one gets you fired up, you can turn your skill and creativity into a great career by following the Manufacturing and Product Development pathway. Once you’ve learned the core knowledge and skills on this pathway, you’ll have the chance to follow one of four different branches: Machine Tools, Welding, Graphic Communications and Graphic Design. 

The job of the Marketing, Sales and Service industry is to advertise and promote products so customers want to buy them. People who work in this industry use their creativity, imagination, and persuasive skills to get people to want and purchase the products they seek to sell. Using today’s diverse and powerful communication tools and improved transportation systems, it is now possible to market, service and sell products to anyone anywhere in the world.

 

The Marketing, Sales, and Services sector is designed to align career-path course work with current and projected employment opportunities. There is a basic business foundation in this sector: marketing and innovation are two major competitive issues for business today. Marketing includes the processes and techniques of identifying, promoting, and transferring products or services to consumers and is a function of almost every business. It exists within an environment of rapidly changing technology, interdependent nations and economies, and increasing demands for ethical and social responsibility. 

Public Services are those services provided by the government to its citizens, regardless of a person’s income. People working in this sector help operate schools, parks, hospitals, airports,  and more. They collect taxes and spend public funds on projects and programs designed to benefit citizens. Careers in the Public Services Pathway include public officials, police, and fire personnel and generally offer good benefits and job security.

 

Careers in public service are unique because they center on challenging issues that define the public agenda and involve vital services to the public—from local to international levels. Public service professions offer many career opportunities, including the following career pathways: Public Safety, Emergency Response, and Legal Practices. If you’re that kind of person, you may find the career of your dreams on the Public Services Industry pathway. There are a huge number of careers along this pathway, but they all start with three different branches: Human Services, Legal and Government Services, and Protective Services. 

The Transportation industry is responsible for ensuring people and things get to the right place at the right time and price. Using new technologies like Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, people in this industry are called on to move people and products from point A to point B by air, land, and sea. It takes people with all different talents, skills, and training to keep things moving.  ATRE (Advanced Transportation and Renewable Energy) represents an array of clean energy technologies that reduce climate change impact, reduce dependency on foreign energy, help grow a robust green economy, and allow California to remain competitive in a global market. Renewable Energy is the fastest-growing segment of the energy market.

 

Like any growing industry, there is an array of occupations and job opportunities that range from technical to managerial to research and innovation. This sector is designed to provide a foundation in transportation services for all industrial technology education students in California. The Transportation sector has eight focus areas, each with different career opportunities. The focus areas are On-Road; Off-Road; Stationary; Rail; Water/Sea; Air; Space; and Small Engines and Specialty  Equipment. Fortunately, some people seem knowledgeable about making vehicles run smoothly. If you’re one of those people, you should steer your way down the Transportation Industry career path.

 

You’ll find three pathways in this sector: Aviation and Aerospace Transportation Services, Collision Repair and Refinishing, and Vehicle Maintenance, Service, and Repair. Pick any of these branches and you’ll learn vehicles inside and out.