News Brief

Beshear Overhauls Career and Technical Education

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear recently signed an executive order that will reform the state's career and technical education (CTE) system and unite the two CTE systems under the State Department of Education to ensure they are more unified and efficient. "Bringing the Office of Career and Technical Education into the Kentucky Department of Education is an excellent move. Career and technical education directly connects learning and jobs for our students and provides them with engaging real-world opportunities so that they can transition to higher education or employment with ease. This move is a key strategy in our efforts to ensure college and career readiness for all students," says State Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. The executive order also creates the CTE Advisory Committee to provide guidance in the design and implementation of programs under the unified system to ensure students have access to career preparation programs. Business and education leaders are cooperating to ensure that students have greater access to CTE programs earlier and that the programs offer courses that are more academically rigorous and better aligned with post-secondary requirements and employer needs.