Career Technical Education: A Perfectly Valid Alternative

Abstract

There is a pervasive stigma against career technical education in American society. Societal norms would make it seem that college education is superior to, and distinctly separate from, career technical education. Career technical education is seen as a last resort for students that were not able to attend college education, but the documented benefits that come from students attending career technical education are eye-opening. Students that attend career technical education in high school are shown to be more likely to graduate high school on time, as well as even more likely to attend post-secondary education, like two-year colleges, which is totally at odds with the perceptions created by the societal stigma against career technical education. Particularly for students with disabilities, career technical education can be a very empowering education pathway that will increase their employability, wages, hours, as well as employment benefits. The societal stigma surrounding career technical education ought be broken down through arguments such as the one, in order for awareness to spread regarding the positive effects of career technical education.