Blog Posts

What influences students’ participation in Career and Technical Education (CTE)?

by Brittany Baum & CM Metcalfe

04/01/2026

In 2025, our team conducted interviews and focus groups with Leon County district and school administrators, counselors, and teachers (62 interviewees in total). Our research team explored school stakeholders’ perceptions of the motivation behind students’ decisions to enroll (or not enroll) in CTE courses, including any barriers towards that enrollment. Here, we share some of our key findings, which revealed that student participation in CTE is influenced by a wide variety of personal, social, and structural considerations.  

Motivating Factors Behind CTE Enrollment

Participants identified several motivating factors behind students' decisions to enroll in CTE, most notably those related to personal interest in a course’s subject matter, post-high school goals/plans, and fulfilling specific graduation requirements.

Stakeholders across all schools reiterated the importance of student choice in deciding the type of CTE course to enroll in, with personal interests identified as the primary driving factor behind coursetaking decisions for many students, with or without associated college and/or career goals. Participants described students drawn to CTE because of the hands-on learning, the chance to gain important life skills, or just perceiving a particular course as “fun.” As one counselor noted, “I think [personal interests are] pretty much the driving force for the majority of them, aligning, enrolling into those CTE courses—they just have a great interest in it.” 

For some students, the decision to enroll in CTE was more explicitly-tied to future goals, providing a steppingstone toward fulfilling their postsecondary and career ambitions. Participants discussed how students pursued specific CTE courses or concentrated in CTE subject areas for the chance to gain “work-ready” skills and earn industry certifications in preparation for immediate and/or competitive employment. In addition to career ambitions, students were also described as being motivated by educational aspirations, perceiving CTE as a great way to gain early exposure before majoring in a particular field in college.

Finally, for some students, the decision to enroll in CTE courses was more logistical - influenced by graduation requirements and course availability. Many CTE courses fulfill core subject requirements (e.g., agriculture as a science credit, digital design as a practical art, etc.) as well as elective credits, providing more options for students to choose the courses they’re most interested in on their path toward graduation. However, at some schools, CTE enrollment is almost inevitable due to the limited availability of non-CTE electives. As one assistant principal explained, “For some of them, it's what we offer. Our electives happen to be CTE classes.” Ultimately, individual school culture seemed to dictate how much of a “choice” students really had in whether they would participate in CTE at some point before graduation, with some schools pushing “exposure,” and others advocating for a more student-led approach to CTE coursetaking.

Barriers and Challenges Toward CTE Enrollment

In discussing students’ motivation for enrolling in CTE, participants also identified a range of factors that could complicate or even prevent students from participating, particularly those related to scheduling conflicts and meeting specific course enrollment requirements. Students’ schedules were described as “packed,” often forcing them to choose between CTE and other types of electives, extracurriculars, dual enrollment opportunities, or even between CTE courses themselves. 

Additionally, participants explained that some students’ desire to remain competitive for college admissions resulted in them prioritizing AP courses over CTE, despite actual interest. As one administrator explained, “some of them will tell you, ‘Well, I wouldn't mind taking that [CTE course], but that's not a weighted course.’" A counselor echoed this sentiment, stating that “college admissions has become so challenging, and they feel they need to remain competitive, so the CTE courses aren't as, you know, sexy for college admissions.” 

Some participants also expressed concern related to the timeliness of how information about certain CTE courses or opportunities was imparted to students, with information about deadlines or admissions criteria sometimes communicated to students too late to plan their schedules, accordingly.

Admissions criteria itself, both formal and informal, was also identified as an additional barrier to participation. Some CTE courses or opportunities at some schools (e.g., career dual enrollment, CNA/nursing, externships, etc.) required minimum GPAs, age thresholds, and formal application processes. Others utilized informal screening processes for high demand CTE courses, or out of concern for safety in courses such as welding. Participants described reviewing prior attendance and disciplinary infractions, considering GPA and test scores, or heavily relying on teacher recommendations when making course enrollment decisions. 

Some participants, however, worried that emphasizing academic performance factors when making CTE course enrollment decisions could exclude students who might benefit from more hands-on, skill-based learning environments, potentially limiting their postsecondary options. As this district-level administrator explained, “even though they're not being successful at school doesn't mean they can't be successful in a job . . . just because they don't have a 2.0 doesn't mean they can't be a welder. That doesn't mean they can't be in construction . . . but they don't have the opportunity because they don't make the GPA.”

Finally, participants discussed how lingering stigma about CTE could impact student decision-making, whether through in-school advising sessions or the influence of parents or peers. Multiple stakeholders worried that CTE was not always perceived or framed as equally valuable to more “traditional” (college preparatory) academic pathways. As one administrator explained, “I think there's still a stigma thinking that if you're taking welding or you're taking nursing or something that's—that's beneath, that's lesser than going to college . . . College isn't for everyone and it's okay. [Laughs] And that's okay.”

Implications for Schools and District Leaders

Beyond looking to fulfill specific Florida graduation requirements, participants described a CTE student population who are highly motivated by personal interests, with or without associated professional goals. But participants also shared concerns that the value of CTE to prepare students for both career and college pathways was not always clearly articulated, and that specific CTE course-related information, requirements, etc., was not always communicated early enough for students to plan accordingly. To address these potential knowledge gaps, school and district leaders can engage in the following:

• Design accessible resources for student-counselor advising sessions that showcase how CTE courses align with multiple postsecondary pathways, highlighting connections to both college and high wage careers.  

• Discuss CTE pathways as early as middle school to provide more time for students to plan their high school schedules accordingly.

• Incorporate information about CTE (e.g., application deadlines, course descriptions and requirements, etc.) into school-wide events (e.g., open houses, etc.) as well as regular school and district-level announcements to help students make more informed decisions about CTE coursetaking.

In addition to communicating CTE-related information early and often to students, it is also important for school leaders to evaluate the criteria for participating in CTE at their schools. Some stakeholders within Leon County Schools perceived certain formal or informal eligibility requirements (e.g., attendance, disciplinary infractions, etc.) as important gatekeeping mechanisms to ensure student maturity in courses with high safety concerns (e.g., fire in welding, saws in construction, etc.). 

However, others worried when requirements related to minimum GPAs or formal application essays were used to make CTE enrollment decisions, potentially excluding students who could benefit from more hands-on, skill-based environments and unintentionally privileging those already performing well in academic settings. 

Ultimately, it is important for school and district leaders to find a way to balance accessibility with student safety and responsibility to ensure that those who might most benefit from CTE courses and opportunities are not left behind.

CTE and Occupational Licensing 

by Nicolas Acevedo

10/31/25

Professional licensing rules are one of the most overlooked and consequential links between school-based career training and the labor market. Many occupations that fall under the CTE umbrella face state-level occupational licensing requirements, which can slow students’ career progression by increasing training costs and time commitments. As a result, it is especially important for CTE teachers to to understand the licensing requirements attached to students’ career pathways, communicate them clearly to students, and align course content to the skills tested on state exams. .

In a recent paper, Kathryn Blanchard and Stephanie Cellini and I evaluated the effects of lowering the requirements for obtaining a cosmetology license across seven states during the 2010s. These reforms were intended to reduce the costs that students face on the path to a certification and were focused in states with the highest hours requirements[1]. The reforms were significant. In the states with policy changes, cosmetology training requirements went from an average of 2000 hours of required training (almost a year of full-time schooling) to an average of 1500 hours. 

As expected, students responded positivelyto the reduced time requirements and costs. Enrollment in an average-size cosmetology program almost doubled, from a baseline of 30 to approximately 50 awards per year. Cosmetology schools responded to this reduction in required instructional hours by decreasing tuition by $1,000, or 15%. This market response varied by school size - smaller schools lowered their prices by 25%, while their larger competitors did not lower their prices. However, average cosmetologist earnings were not affected by this change in regulation.

Florida’s own licensing landscape illustrates how these findings matter beyond cosmetology, as the state licensed 170 occupations in 2023[2]. While this may sound like a large number of licensed occupations, Florida ranks only 36th in the number of licensed occupations among states, and has reduced licensing requirements in recent years. In 2020, the state passed the Occupational Freedom and Licensing Act, which eliminated licenses for more than 30 occupations, reduced licensing requirements for construction-related professions.The Act also prevented the state from suspending occupational licenses over unpaid student loans[3]. In 2021, the state passed further  legislation preempting Florida’s cities and counties from banning home-based businesses, as well as from enforcing their local licenses. 

As licensing can be a major expense and - in some cases - barrier to entering certain professions, , teachers and district leaders can help reduce the burden on students by providing clear information on each pathway and tailoring CTE programs to licensing requirements, so that students only take the exams they need and so that classroom instruction has prepared students to be successful in the credential exams they do take.

Understand the licensing landscape for each career pathway.

CTE teachers, counselors, and students deserve a clear understanding of which programs lead to occupations that require state licensing. In Leon County Schools, the health sciences and construction trades career clusters are the most likely to face licensing requirements. 

Courses in the health sciences cluster, such as nursing assistant and phlebotomy, align with nursing-related occupations like Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Registered Nurse (RN), which require additional postsecondary training and passing state-level examinations. Courses in the building trades and construction design cluster connect to licenses in fields such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and roofing, which typically involve a combination of supervised work experience and passing state-managed exams. 

Mapping these linkages early helps teachers design coursework that develops the competencies evaluated by licensing boards, and allows students to plan their training pathways with a clear understanding of any additional requirements they will need to meet after graduation to pursue their careers.

Strengthen external partnerships to sustain student pathways.

School and district leaders play a key role in ensuring that students can continue progressing toward licensure after graduation. In the health sciences, this means continuing collaboration with local postsecondary institutions, in order to ensure the articulation of high school coursework and experience with postsecondary health programs and state-level examinations. In the construction and building trades, leaders should work with local employers, unions, and contractors, to align the curriculum with the contents of the state exam, and explore the possibility of creating avenues for students to begin accumulating the documented experience required for state licensing. These partnerships help maintain momentum from high school into the workforce, ensure that local programs stay aligned with licensing requirements, and allow students to avoid pitfalls in their transition to their careers.

The core message for schools is straightforward: clear career guidance is just as valuable as the skills students learn in their courses, and it must be tailored to each student’s specific career path. When teachers and students understand which occupations require a state license, how their skills are related to the requirements for obtaining a license, and the next steps remaining after graduation, students are far more likely to transition smoothly into their chosen careers.

[1] Utah, Wisconsin, Montana, Nevada, Colorado, Kentucky, and Idaho.

[2] Timmons, Edward, Norris, Conor, and Trudeau, Noah. (2023). “A Snapshot of Occupational Licensing in Florida.” Knee Regulatory Research Center.

[3] Wimer, Andrew. (2020). “Governor Signs Bill Making It Easier for Floridians to Work.” Institute for Justice.