CTE MONTH-County Mayor Dale Reagan (seated) recently signed a proclamation designating February 27 as Career Technical Day in Clay County as Bonnie Craighead (standing), active Career Technical Education student at Clay County High School, looks on.

CLAY COUNTY-County Mayor Dale Reagan recently signed a proclamation designating February 27 as Career Technical Day here.

Clay County High School students and teachers traveled to Celina K-8 School, Hermitage Springs School, and Maple Grove School on the 27th to talk with students about Career Technical Education (CTE) programs available upon entering high school.  Clay County’s CTE programs include  Agriculture, Business Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Health Science.  Students may take classes in these areas as part of the their high school program of study. Students may also take other CTE classes as electives to complete graduation requirements.

Other CTE initiatives include High Schools that Work, and Contextual Academics.

Career and Technical education gives high school students experience in practical, meaningful applications of basic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics, thus improving the quality of their education, and giving all students leadership opportunities in their fields and communities. With the ever-increasing cooperative efforts of career and technical educators, business and industry stimulate the growth and vitality of our state and local economy and that of the entire nation by preparing high school graduates through competency-based instruction for careers culminating in essential life skills, certified occupation skills, and meaningful employment.

“Career and technical education provides students with a real-world career connection,” officials said. “CTE programs, in turn, foster a well-educated, college- and career-ready student body, ready to contribute to our workforce.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, eighteen of the 20 fastest growing occupations within the next decade will require career and technical education. Of the 136 school districts in Tennessee, 126 include CTE programs in their curriculum.

For more information, contact Jayne Donaldson, director of Career Technical Education at 243-5512 or any Career Technical Clay County High School teacher at 243-2340.