How Career and Technical Education Courses Can Prepare You for Your Future

You may have seen recent blog posts about Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses at Florida Virtual School and wondered, “is this something for me? Should I enroll in a course to find out?”

My answer to you would be – yes! If you are interested you should absolutely enroll in one of our more than 16 CTE courses that include subjects such as Technology for Hospitality and Tourism, Accounting Applications 1, Health Science Foundations, Introduction to the Teaching Profession, and Agriscience Foundations 1.

As the CTE Coordinator at Florida Virtual School, my goal is to help students like you discover your passions and see your potential through CTE. During my teaching career, I quickly learned that some students do not want to go to college. Rather than forcing them to do something that their skills sets, talents, and desires don’t align with, I encouraged them to explore their passions to see if they could turn it into a career later in life. All students deserve the opportunity to do what they love, and it’s my job to help you get there.  

So, why should CTE matter to you? Let me explain!  

Gain Real-Life Skills and Industry Certifications 

If you were to ask people who have careers today what they would have done differently, many would say they would change their experiences and education, which often includes student loan debt.  

The state of education in our society has been changing. It has been changing for decades and will continue to do so. Our society has been pushing for four-year college degrees to the detriment of many. Most of these changes have created a large group of highly educated candidates who don’t have the basic technical or soft skills to do the job. CTE offers examples of how you can move into a career without necessarily completing a four-year degree at the university, all while learning both technical and soft skills needed to be successful. 

For example, in many of our CTE courses we have a resume builder section, where we work with you to help develop a resume that will catch a recruiter’s eye. Plus, we teach you skills like communication, time management, problem-solving, and more, which are critical soft skills you need to thrive in the workplace.  

In many instances upon completing a program of study in CTE, which is when a student completes a progression of courses in a specific area (for example, there are 3 courses in Agriculture Communications that a student must take to complete the program of study), you can receive an industry certification.

Many hiring managers look for a specific certification when you apply, which really gives you a leg up against other candidates. An example of this would be obtaining the Python or Java Certification and moving on to a career in programming. The certifications earned through a CTE program identify that you have the knowledge to start the career that you choose.

Join CTE Student Organizations to Gain Work Experience  

CTE student organizations offer another way for you to get work experience prior to going into the field of your choice. There are several CTE student organizations, or CTSOs, that offer extended opportunities.  

Some of these organizations include Future Farmers of America, Florida Future Educators of America, Technology Student Association, Future Business Leaders of America, and Health Occupations Students of America. There are so many opportunities for you while working within these organizations. And you get the experience of working with others, completing tasks, creating resumes, networking, and other real-life experiences that you wouldn’t necessarily receive from a four-year college.  

Discover Your Passions Through a Variety of CTE Courses  

Our CTE courses offer a wide variety of career types to choose from across multiple areas: Agriscience, Accounting, Cybersecurity, Hospitality & Tourism Management, Allied Health, Introduction to Teaching, Programming/Coding, Artificial Intelligence, and more.  

Say you have a passion for helping people and want to learn what it takes to have a career in the healthcare profession, or you’re interested in the business side of hospitality and tourism, we have the courses that can help you explore and feel confident about what life could lead you to do.  

If you’re interested in learning more about CTE courses at Florida Virtual School, please visit https://www.flvs.net/online-courses/career-education-courses. And if you have any questions related to CTE, I recommend reaching out to your counselors who will have all the information you need.