Career and Technical
What is Career and Technical Education (CTE)?
Career and Technical Education (CTE) has evolved significantly as technology has developed. While many CTE programs prepare students to enter a skilled trade directly after high school, 68% of CTE students in Washtenaw enroll in college within one year of graduation. These students often have a jump-start on their associate’s or bachelor’s degree as a result of transferable CTE credits. Many believe that CTE helps students stand out in the college application process. Students who wish to enter the workforce directly after graduation are also well-prepared. Our twenty-first century labor market demands auto repair technicians, manufacturers, and construction workers to master increasingly complex technical skills, and the programming in Washtenaw County reflects that rigor. Students can earn industry credentials in automotive service, cosmetology, nurse assistant, and more.
CTE courses not only equip students with specific career skills—they instill leadership, critical thinking, and teamwork skills, all while providing unique hands-on learning experiences. In CTE programs, Washtenaw students learn how to repair automobiles, build houses, cook with classical technique, and grow crops; they also learn to program machinery, design buildings on cutting-edge software, build robots, and prepare for careers in business, finance, and healthcare. Valuable work-based learning is embedded in courses as students take part in practical teaching and childcare experiences, work in area hospitals, and more.
Testimonials
- "There's not one thing I don't like about being in CTE. It's a home away from home." - Ypsilanti CTE Student
- Student's feel better about coming to school because they are part of CTE... They are constantly excited to show their CTE project to us." - South and West Washtenaw Administrator
- "CTE prepares you for the real world... You can't be in a class like this and not learn something." - Ypsilanti CTE Student
- "CTE give students a sense of accomplishment. It is a cross-curricular and project-based. If you think about the way the brain learns, CTE makes so much sense!" - Ypsilanti Administrator
- "CTE is a fun experience that pushes you out of your comfort zone... The best parts are the hands-on projects and teamwork." - Ann Arbor CTE Student
Which CTE Courses Can I Take, And Where Are They Located?
Twenty distinct Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that fall into 14 different career clusters, or topic areas are offered in Washtenaw County. For the administration of CTE programming, Washtenaw County is divided into three separate consortia, shown in the graphic below. (Note that the South and West Washtenaw Consortium, or SWWC, contains Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, Milan, Lincoln, and Saline High Schools.) A student can take any CTE course offered within his/her consortium, regardless of his/her home school; bus services are provided to students who need to travel between schools.
In addition to WISD Consortia-based programs, Ypsilanti Community High School and Lincoln High School students can also access 6 dual enrollment programs, which are administered by Washtenaw Community College and MIAT College of Technology. See the Postsecondary Opportunities Page to view a list of these programs.
Ann Arbor Consortium
AAPS CTE Programs
Career Cluster
- Architecture and Construction
- Business, Management, and Administration
- Finance
- Health Science
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Human Services
- Information Technology
- Marketing Sales and Service
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
- Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
Program Offerings
- Construction Trades
- Business Administration Management & Operations
- Finance & Financial Management Services
- Health Science
- Cooking & related Culinary Arts
- Cosmetology
- Cybersecurity
- Digital/ Multimedia & Information Resources Design
- Marketing Sales and Service
- Engineering Technology
- Automobile Technician (ASE Certification)
South and west washtenaw consortium
South and West Washtenaw CTE Programs
Career Cluster
- Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
- Architecture and Construction
- Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications
- Business, Management, and Administration
- Education and Training
- Finance
- Health Science
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Human Services
- Information Technology
- Manufacturing
- Marketing Sales and Service
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
- Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
Program Offerings
- Agriculture, Agricultural Operations, and Related Services
- Natural Resources and Conversation
- Construction Trades
- Drafting/ Design Technology
- Graphics Communications
- Radio & TV Broadcasting Technology
- Business Administration Management & Operations
- Education
- Finance & Financial Management Services
- Health Science
- Cooking & related Culinary Arts
- Cosmetology
- Cybersecurity
- Digital/ Multimedia & Information Resources Design
- Electrical/ Electronic Equipment Installation and Repair
- Welding, Brazing, and Soldering
- Marketing Sales and Service
- Engineering Technology (Robotics)
- Automobile Technician (ASE Certification)
Whitmore Lake Consortium
Program Offerings
- Business Administration Management and Operations
- Computer Programming
- Digital Multimedia & Information Resources Design
Ypsilanti Consortium
Ypsilanti CTE Program
Career Cluster
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
Program Offerings
- Cooking & related Culinary Arts
- Automobile Technician (ASE Certification)
- Collision Repair Technician
CTE Reports
Perkins Performance Evaluation:
CTE Enrollments
CTE Follow up Surveys
State Aid Funding Reports
Program / Course Reports
MI CTE Dashboards
Perkins CPIs:
Race and Gender
Special Pops
PV CTE Enrollments
Washtenaw County
(Region 23/CEPD 43)
CTE Director & CEPD 43/Region 23 Administrator - WISD:
- Ryan L. Rowe, Ph.D.
Ann Arbor Public Schools:
South & West Washtenaw Consortium:
Whitmore Lake Public Schools:
Ypsilanti Community Schools: