Techniques

September 14, 2026 In FEATURES A new collaboration between MBA Research and Curriculum Center and ACTE reflects a shared commitment to expanding high-quality professional learning. Together they are bringing the MBA Research Conclave into ACTE’s CareerTech VISION beginning this year in New Orleans, Louisiana. This is more than a scheduling shift. It is a strategic response to the changing needs of business and marketing teachers, the broader CTE community, schools, and the workforce.

September 14, 2026 In FEATURES One of the greatest challenges facing education today is not recruiting talented educators; it’s keeping them. Career and technical education professionals are passionate people. They invest countless hours into supporting students, building industry partnerships, coordinating events and creating opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.

September 14, 2026 In FEATURES Approximately 22% of Americans speak a language other than English at home. This figure represents a vast pool of multilingual talent embedded in our education systems. Yet unlike technical credentials in healthcare, machining or information technology, language ability is not commonly treated as a formal, credentialed skill within CTE pathways. Meanwhile, employers across industries are reporting a high demand for a multilingual workforce.

September 14, 2026 In FEATURES Students squint and shift in their seats as they focus on crafting dynamic images on drawing tablets. They are learning on industry-standard tools used by professionals for 2D and 3D animation. The young artists add texture, lighting and shading. And soon, after weeks of working with animators at Nickelodeon and receiving direct feedback from experts in the field, the students will complete their capstone animation portfolios.

ACTE is proud to introduce the eighth cohort of NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Leaders Fellows. Sixteen postsecondary CTE leaders were selected for the 2026 cohort. Together, they represent institutions and organizations across the country and bring a range of expertise and perspectives to the NextLevel community. Perkins CTE Coordinator | College of Southern Nevada Rudolph Chavez serves as Perkins CTE Coordinator at the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas.

From September 2025 through May 2026, Techniques followed educators, program leaders and advocates as they worked through some of CTE’s most enduring questions: What does it take to build pathways that reach every learner? How do learning spaces and experiences shape what students believe is possible? As ACTE marks 100 years of service, these questions feel more relevant than ever. The best CTE stories are never only about programs.

This article appears in Techniques as part of a new spotlight on student voices in CTE. Duncan Felch is a junior at Morris County School of Technology in Denville, New Jersey. To change public perception, CTE programs must meet families where they are: on social media. Many programs use CTE Month® as a catalyst for digital storytelling, but advocacy must be a year-round endeavor. Video content is a powerful tool for communication and outreach.

In an era when workforce readiness, real-world skills and meaningful career exploration are more critical than ever, career and technical education stands as a powerful bridge between education and industry. Yet awareness remains a challenge. That narrative is changing. At the 2026 Central California Builders Exchange (CCBE) Design Build Competition, CTE wasn’t explained but experienced.

Perceptions of career and technical education are changing. At Butler Tech, in southwest Ohio, perceptions of CTE changed when students, families, and communities began seeing success in ways that were visible, credible, and sustainable. Our visitors arrive expecting to see students in classrooms. They leave having met emerging professionals. To facilitate this shift, leaders intentionally focused on four key areas to ensure public perception matched what the students had already accomplished.

In the heat of late August, a woman in her mid-thirties stepped out of her car and onto a high school campus. She was nervous but excited to leave what she considered a “safe” career in insurance for a new adventure as a CTE teacher. Fueled by a dedication to serve her community, this would-be new teacher saw a future for herself — making a difference. But by the end of the following week, two days after the school year began, the teacher resigned.