In this issue of Engage, we explore Career and Technical Education, also known as CTE. These programs provide students with core academic and technical job-specific skills to prepare them for a wide range of careers. As a result, students can master the fundamentals of a new profession or build on established skills.
According to the Illinois Community College Board, approximately two-thirds of all Illinois community college graduates last year earned a degree or certificate in a CTE field. These programs are for students of all ages, whether they are recent high school graduates, returning adults or veterans.
The importance of CTE cannot be stressed enough, and a key component to the curriculum is well-equipped lab spaces that provide hands-on learning. Immersive learning can be found in all corners of College of DuPage’s campus and especially in the CTE programs. In this issue, we take a look at some of the impressive lab spaces found at the Technical Education Center and their benefits for students.
CTE focuses on developing partnerships with high schools and clear pathways for students to follow toward degrees and certifications. For students looking to continue their education, CTE also prepares them for transfer.
College of DuPage offers a wide array of CTE programs, ranging from Culinary Arts to Manufacturing and Cosmetology to Fire Science. This issue of Engage only scratches the surface of the breadth and depth of our CTE curriculum, which includes degrees and certificates in electronics, computers, early childhood education, health sciences and more areas too numerous to list.
Related Areas of Interest
- Inn at Water's Edge
- Culinary Market
- Culinary Arts Program
- Office Technology Information Program
- Fire Science Program
- Manufacturing Technology Program
- Business and Applied Technology Division