Strategies for Attracting
Students to High-Quality CTE
Research & Recommendations
https://careertech.org/recruitmentstrategies
Agenda
• Key findings from “The Value and Promise of
CTE: Results from a National Survey of Parents
and Students”
• Effective Messaging
• Insights & Recommendations
The Value and Promise of
CTE: Findings from a
National Survey
https://careertech.org/recruitmentstrategies
Research Goals
Explore what middle & high school parents and
students know and think about CTE
Understand motivators and barriers to enrolling
in a CTE program
Determine which messages are most compelling
to consider a CTE program and which are not
Identify trusted decision-makers and effective
communication channels for CTE
Research
Qualitative
8 focus groups
• 6 prospects, 2 current
CTE
• Bethesda, MD;
Columbus, OH;
Jackson, MS
• Racial, socioeconomic and gradelevel mix
Quantitative
971 US adults online
survey
• 252 current/previous CTE
parents (9-12th grade)
• 506 parents of prospective
students (6-11th grade)
776 students online
survey
• 252 current/previous CTE
students (9-12th grade/grads)
• 514 prospective students (611th grade)
Key Takeaways
• CTE Delivers for Parents and Students
• College and Career Success are Both Important
Goals for Parents and Students
• CTE Has an Awareness Challenge
• Prospective Parents and Students are Attracted
to the “Real World” Benefits of CTE
• CTE Needs Champions and Messengers
CTE Delivers for Parents & Students
How satisfied are you with…? (Very Satisfied)
55% of Current CTE
Parents/Students Very Satisfied
with overall school experience
(92% satisfied)
27% of Prospective
Parents/Students Very
Satisfied with overall
school experience
(78% satisfied)
Ability to learn real-world
skills
Opportunities to earn
college credit
Quality of classes
Opportunities to explore
different careers of
interest
54%
18%
49%
24%
47%
25%
46%
19%
Current
Bold = statistical significance between
audiences
CTE Delivers for Parents & Students
Parents and students involved in CTE were more satisfied than
those not involved in CTE with regards to their:
 Overall education experience
 Quality of the classes
 Quality of teachers
 Ability to begin preparing for
and get a leg up on your
career
 Opportunities to explore
different careers of interest
 Opportunities to earn college
credit(s)






Opportunities to earn credits
towards a certification
Opportunities for internships
Ability to learn real-world
skills
Opportunities to make
connections and network with
employers
Social life opportunities
Opportunities to take elective
courses
CTE Delivers
91%
82%
80%
of parents of students in
of CTE students are
of parents of students in
CTE believe their child is satisfied with their ability
CTE are satisfied with
getting a leg up on their to learn real-world skills in their ability to participate
career, compared to only school, compared to only in internships, compared
44% of prospective
51% of non-CTE
to only 30% of
parents.
students.
prospective parents..
College and Career Success
Are Both Important for Parents & Students
70% of Parents &
Students strongly agree:
finding a career that
I/ my child feels
passionate about is
important
“The goal is not just to
have a good job but to
be happy in what
they do.” – MD
prospective parent
60% of Parents &
Students strongly agree:
getting a college
degree is important
“High school is
something we need to
get through to get to
college.” – MS
prospective student
56% of Parents &
Students
strongly agree:
it’s important that I/
my child has a job
that pays well
“I want to make stable
living and want to have
a good job that pays
well.” – OH prospective
student
“College” is the Goal for All
What Are Your/Your Child's Highest Post-High School Plans?
CTE Parents
CTE Students
11%
5%
7%
9%
Prospective Parents
5% 5%
Prospective Students
5% 5%
19%
18%
17%
13%
2%
61%
62%
61%
64%
High school or less
Certification
Some College/Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
Workforce or Military
Don't Know
4% 2%
3% 9%
6%
8%
CTE Awareness Is Moderate
Just
47% of prospective parents and students have
heard of “Career Technical Education” compared to…
– 68% Vocational Education
– 54% Career Center
– 45% Career Education
– 30% Career Academy
Prospective Parents and Students
Attracted to “Real World” Benefits of CTE
Focus groups say
“real world” skills is
unmet need
“In school we learn certain
things but not all the necessities
to be responsible adults.”
–MS focus group prospective
student
86% of prospective
parents & students
surveyed wish
they/their child
could get more real
world knowledge
and skills during
high school
Educators and Students Are
Best Messengers
How much do you trust each for learning
more information about CTE?
48% of prospects want to hear information
about CTE from their guidance counselor
Guidance counselor
38%
83%
Teacher(s)
33%
81%
CTE students or alumni
32%
77%
College/university reps 29%
74%
Principal 27%
71%
State Department of
22%
Education
59%
Superintendent 18%
58%
Trust Completely
Educational website (46%);
Open house at CTE school /program
(44%)
High school career fair (40%);
Brochure/pamphlet mailed (40%)
E-mail school/principal (23%);
A school assembly (22%);
Social media (21%)
Effective Messaging
Message Testing
• Tested five messages:
– Believability (1-3)
– Motivating (1-3)
– Highlight key words
• Force choice of most motivating and least motivating
message
Most Effective Message:
Preparation for the Real World
CTE gives purpose to learning by emphasizing realworld skills and practical knowledge.
Students receive hands-on training, mentoring,
and internships from employers in their community.
They also learn how to develop a resume and
interview for a job.
These additional tools and experiences make school
more relevant, and ensure students are ready for
the real world.
Real World Message Entices
Everyone
• Top-ranked message across ALL audiences, by
race, ethnicity, education level, income level and
geographic distribution
• All subpopulations selected CTE’s ability to offer
students real-world skills as one of the three most
important elements of their education.
Language that Works
“Real world skills” and “practical knowledge”
“Hands-on experience” (training)
“Mentoring”
“Internships”
“Explore career options and what you are passionate
about”
 “Career” and “career-focused”
 “Extra advantage for both college and careers”
 “Leadership” and “confidence”
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Insights & Recommendations
Insights & Recommendations
Parent and student
aspirations for career
passion opens the door for
a conversation about CTE.
Emphasize opportunities to
explore options, develop interests
and get a jump start on both
college and a career.
Real-world skills and handson experience are a distinct
value add.
Current families value these, and
prospects say these are missing.
Showcase real-world skills and
hands-on experiences.
CTE isn’t a replacement for
traditional schooling, but an
enhancement.
Students are more satisfied, more
focused, more prepared, more apt
to graduate.
Core Messages – Core Motivators
Real Options for College
and Rewarding Careers
CTE
Delivers…
Real High School
Experience with More Value
Real-World Skills
Insights & Recommendations
• Be consistent in your messages
• Communicate the success of your program through current and
past student success stories
• Localize your examples, and make it relevant. Don’t forget the
details
• Emphasize that CTE is a pathway towards college and a career
• Share tangible benefits of CTE – networking, internships, college
credit, certifications, etc.
• Engage educators, counselors and the business community as
your messengers.
• Keep it positive!
Resources
• Core Messages that summaries a lot of what we just
presented
• Dos and Don’ts which detail how to use the messages and
how not to use them
• A fact sheet that you can use as a 1-pager leave behind on
the benefits of CTE
• Summary of all the messages we tested along with
language that worked and didn’t work in each message
• A guide on how State Leaders can use this research
• Coming soon: Advocacy 101, How locals can use this
research
https://careertech.org/recruitmentstrategies
Thank you!
For additional information, please contact:
[email protected]
https://careertech.org/recruitmentstrategies