• Career & Technical Education

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) provides students of all ages with the academic and technical skills, knowledge and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners. CTE prepares these learners for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies and makes academic content accessible to students by providing it in a hands-on context. In fact, the high school graduation rate for CTE concentrators is about 90% – 15 percentage points higher than the national average.

    Foundational to CTE is rigorous program standards. This section will help define what high-quality CTE looks like in the 21st century, with extended resources on the Common Career Technical Core and program of study standards, built on the National Career Clusters Framework®.

  • Industry Certifications

    • The Knox County Schools Department of Career and Technical Education’s belief is that every Knox County student should graduate high school fully prepared and focused on post-secondary coursework and therefore meeting the qualifications for quality employment. In order to do this, high school students are encouraged to focus their elective credits on rigorous, career and post-secondary aligned learning pathways. Students who have a clear focus in Career and Technical Education, through one of the programs of study promoted within the Knox County Schools, should conclude the program with at least one nationally recognized industry credential, multiple work-based learning experiences, and/or attainment of post-secondary credit hours through one of KCS early post-secondary opportunities. All department-promoted credentials are aligned with post-secondary and employment opportunities as well as with the competencies and skill sets that students should have acquired through their chosen programs of study.

      For any questions regarding industry credentials, please contact the CTE Specialist responsible for the content area in which the credential is to be earned.

      Tennessee Promoted Industry Credentials:

      State-approved industry credentials are categorized into three tiers - Recognized, Valued, and Preferred - and promoted for use in K-12 schools and across Tennessee's broader educational and workforce systems. Click on the following link to find a list of the Tennessee Promoted Industry Credentials.

      Notice to non-public, private schools and families within the Knox County Community:

      Perkins funding provides funds for Career and Technical/Vocational Education programs of study.  Professional Development activities for these programs of study include industry-specific skills, integration of core academics, industry certifications, and Work Based Learning. For information regarding the programs and professional development opportunities in Career and Technical Education, contact CTE Director Matthew Mosley at matthew.mosley@knoxschools.org.