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CTE and Occupational Licensing
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.
Preparing Students and Serving Communities: Aligning CTE with Labor Markets
Preparing Students and Serving Communities: Aligning CTE with Labor Markets
by Kevin Ganus
09/04/25
How closely should schools consider labor market alignment when deciding which CTE programs to offer and how to develop those programs? Education’s role in aligning with labor market needs has long been debated as part of the broader question about the purpose of schooling. In recent years, this debate has captured growing attention from policymakers and the public alike. Rising levels of student loan debt, growing questions about artificial intelligence’s role in the future of work, and shifting public sentiment about the value and faith in higher education have pushed workforce preparation and labor market alignment to the forefront of education policy at both the state and federal level.
Both federal and state policymakers have acted on these concerns, embedding labor market alignment into funding structures and accountability systems. Perkins V, the primary federal funding source for Career and Technical Education (CTE), requires that schools compare current local labor market needs to their CTE program offerings. The Perkins Act also requires CTE programs to develop an advisory board that includes local employers. While some schools and programs utilize advisory boards more than others, these boards can provide substantial value by updating teachers on industry trends, new technologies, and practices, and by providing students with exposure to local businesses and potential networking opportunities that may help them find future jobs. Alongside federal legislation, many states have implemented initiatives such as articulation agreements, funding incentives, and school performance ratings to both reward school systems that offer industry-aligned credentials and to guide students toward high-skill, high-wage jobs.
Rising frustration with high tuition, coupled with concerns about limited returns on investment in terms of job prospects and salary potential, has left many college graduates questioning their choices.[1] A 2024 Pew Research poll found that only 22% of Americans believe college is worth the cost if it requires taking out loans, while 29% say college isn’t worth the cost at all.[2] An emphasis on labor market alignment may help restore public confidence in an education system that many Americans feel has fallen short. When students clearly understand the opportunities available after completing their chosen pathway, they may be better positioned to visualize their future and weigh the benefits of education against its financial and time commitments. This empowers students to take ownership of their learning and pursue outcomes that align with their goals.
A focus on labor market alignment can also yield broad societal benefits. State, federal, and local policies may guide students toward high-quality jobs in essential sectors such as healthcare, social assistance, and manufacturing, all of which have experienced critical shortages in certain areas of the United States.[3] Strengthening these pipelines not only benefits individual students but also helps ensure that communities have the skilled workforce required to sustain healthy local economies.
One important way district and school leaders can develop labor market–aligned programs is by building strong relationships with local businesses and workforce-focused organizations like the local Chamber of Commerce.
Through conversations our research team conducted with industry leaders, we found that many expressed a strong interest in partnering with schools. While industry leaders were motivated by a need to ensure a skilled local workforce, they also expressed a desire to help students better understand the opportunities and pathways available to them.
For school leaders hoping to better align their CTE program offerings with local labor market trends, one strategy is to consult state-published employment projections and review current and historical workforce statistics from resources such as the U.S. Census Bureau’s Quarterly Workforce Indicators.[4] School leaders, along with parents and students, can also draw on research to guide decision-making. For example, the Burning Glass Institute created the Credential Value Index to provide insight into the labor market value and outcomes of thousands of certifications across the country.[5] Such resources can inform both school program design and individual student enrollment choices, ensuring that education pathways are grounded in evidence about which credentials lead to meaningful labor market opportunities.
For districts, schools, and CTE teachers hoping to focus on alignment between their CTE programs and the labor market, we offer 4 tangible steps:
1. Gather Information. Begin with data. Use publicly available sources to understand your labor market. State-published employment projections and the U.S. Census Bureau’s Quarterly Workforce Indicators can help identify current and projected workforce demand. Alongside labor market projections, there are also resources that help school leaders understand the economic value of their program offerings. The Burning Glass Institute’s Credential Value Index offers additional insights into the value of specific credentials by examining outcomes such as wages, job stability, and career advancement.
2. Leverage local organizations. Build strong relationships with community partners, such as the local Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) organizations, and industry associations. These groups often have firsthand knowledge of evolving skill demands and can help shape responsive, labor-aligned programs.
3. Develop or strengthen advisory boards. A strong advisory board made up of local employers and workforce leaders can keep school leaders and teachers informed about industry trends, new technologies, and best practices. These boards can also give students exposure to businesses and create networking opportunities that may lead to internships and jobs. In conversations with our research group, instructors described using advisory boards to bring industry leaders into classrooms as guest speakers, arrange site visits, and connect students with local employment networks that can open doors to future opportunities.
4. Compare program offerings to workforce needs. In Leon County, Florida, we recently developed a report (Research Brief - Leon County CTE Labor Market Alignment) comparing student enrollment in CTE clusters to local labor market projections to help identify alignment or misalignment between CTE enrollment and jobs available in related clusters. While labor market alignment should not be the only influence on program offerings (other factors like student engagement, college preparation, teacher availability are also important to consider), we encourage school districts to undertake similar processes to compare their CTE enrollment to the needs of the local economy.
[1] Alonso, J. (2024, October 11). Report: A quarter of grads say they regret going to college. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/10/11/report-quarter-grads-say-they-regret-going-college
[2] Fry, R., Braga, D., & Parker, K. (2024, May 23). Is college worth it? Americans have mixed views on the importance of having a degree. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/05/23/is-college-worth-it-2/
[3] Bipartisan Policy Center. (2025, April). Bridging the gap: Meeting workforce needs over the next decade. https://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/download/?file=/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/BPC_Bridging-the-Gap_FINAL.pdf
[4] U.S. Census Bureau, Center for Economic Studies. (n.d.). Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) Explorer [Data tool]. Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Program. Retrieved [August 31, 2025], from https://qwiexplorer.ces.census.gov/
[5] Burning Glass Institute. (n.d.). Credential Value Index (CVI) [Data tool]. Retrieved August 31, 2025, from https://www.credentialvalueindex.org/#cvi
Welcome to STEP-in-CTE
Welcome to STEP-in-CTE
by Dr. Walter Ecton
09/03/25
Welcome to the website for the Strengthening Transitions and Education Pathways research lab. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences, the lab is a partnership between Leon County Schools (LCS) in Tallahassee, Florida and researchers at the University of Michigan and Florida State University.
On this website, we’ll be sharing information and resources that we hope will be informative for a broad range of educators, researchers, and others interested in CTE and career development. On this site, you can find:
1) Information and the STEP project and team,
2) Our new research as it emerges from the STEP-in-CTE lab. You can expect to see the resources on this page expand as new work comes out. Currently, you can see our first two research briefs – one on alignment between Leon County Schools CTE program enrollment and local labor market projects, and one on alignment of CTE programs between middle school, high school, and dual enrollment opportunities. We hope that these will be useful to our LCS partners, and might also motivate other school districts to consider undertaking similar analysis!
3) Related research from the STEP team. Across our team, there’s a wealth of related research. We’ve highlighted a small number of research articles that we think might be of interest – please take a look!
4) A blog with take-aways, reactions to news, reflections on emerging findings, and more. Our first blog post is from Florida State University PhD candidate, Kevin Ganus, offering takeaways from a new report he wrote on CTE program labor market alignment. Helpfully, Kevin also offers specific advice and suggestions for any school or district leader looking to undertake similar analysis and/or better align their CTE program offerings with the local labor market. New blog posts will come throughout the year on a regular basis.
We hope that you will consider this a resource to learn with us about CTE and career development. Please consider signing up for our newsletter, which we’ll use to let you know when there’s new research on the website.
In our research, we’re guided by a principle that all students deserve to leave school with the tools needed to enter a career that pays enough for a decent, comfortable life. While education can and should do so much more, if a student ends their schooling unprepared for a good-paying job, we've simply failed them.
Still, there is far too little we do not know about how to develop and deliver outstanding programs that support students for their careers, with far less research on CTE than any many other educational fields of study. In this mixed-methods collaborative research with our colleagues in Leon County Schools, we look forward to sharing impactful research on topics as wide-ranging as CTE dual enrollment, student engagement, discipline, industry-recognized credentials, career planning, workforce preparation, employability skills, and much more. Follow this site to keep up-to-date on everything!
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