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As countless headlines have blared recently, there is a growing demand for what are often called "middle-skill" jobs. Jobs that require more than high school typically but less than a baccalaureate degree; jobs that pay well. Just this week, the USAToday reported on, "Where the jobs are: The new blue collar." Career and technical education (CTE) is the starting point for these and other occupations. But not all CTE we find in today's public schools provides the proper beginning of a career pathway -- a pathway that builds on credentials business and industry recognize and value. What is needed is a revisioning of CTE to meet the more challenging demands of providing students with the skills they need to move through a viable career pathway and continue their education and training to make that pathway a reality. What is needed is high-quality CTE.

The Obama Administration last week issued their blueprint for transforming Career and Technical Education (CTE) by reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.

"NHCTA is a professional association for the administrators and directors of the career and technical education centers that serve New Hampshire's high school students. NHCTA works closely with the Bureau of Career Development of the NH Department of Education to help guide and implement policies and procedures dealing with CTE programs."

"Career Technical Education (CTE), previously called vocational education, is the present-day label used to denote specialized material and programs that focus instruction in skilled trades and occupational readiness (Drage, 2009). The aim of career technical education for high school students is to prepare them for college and career endeavors (ACTE, 2009). This goal matches special education career transition goals for students with an IEP. "