Career, technical students find jobs in record numbers

DENVER — Colorado secondary students completing career and technical education programs are finding jobs in record numbers, according to the 33rd Annual Report on the Colorado Vocational Act released by the Colorado Community College System.

Figures that have remained relatively constant for more than a decade and a half reveal that 96 percent of Colorado secondary career and technical education graduates seeking employment found jobs, nearly 88 percent of them in areas related to their career and technical education and training. Furthermore, students with high school career and technical education have an unemployment rate of 3.6 percent compared with 17.2 percent for youth in general.

During the 2002-03 school year, more than 85,800 Colorado students enrolled in high school career and technical education programs. Additionally, 38.7 percent of all career and technical education students chose to continue their education.

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Nationally recognized as a model for state-of-the-art academic and career and technical education, CCCS has responsibility for both secondary and post-secondary career and technical education and community college governance. It is also the credentialing agency for the state’s career/technical teachers and administrators.

The Colorado General Assembly provided more than $19.3 million to aid more than 160 school districts and 13 other institutions offering 1,300 CCCS secondary career and technical education programs. Four program areas accounted for more than 75 percent of the enrollment: business (44.2 percent), family and consumer science education (14.4 percent), trades and industry (8.3 percent).

Career and technical education also includes agriculture, family and consumer science occupations, technical, health, alternative cooperative education and multioccupational programs.

The Colorado Community College System comprises the state’s largest system of higher education serving more than 116,000 students annually. Its career and academic programs in the 13 state community colleges and career and technical programs in more than 160 school districts and seven other post-secondary institutions serve students annually in 1,300 secondary and 800 postsecondary programs.