CTE Mission Statement:
Cahokia Unit School District #187 will prepare CTE scholars for career pathways in the global marketplace by offering experiential learning, post-secondary credits, and industry certifications. Scholars will gain technical and high-level academic skills, equipping them to be lifelong learners.
CTE Vision Statement:
Cahokia Unit School District #187 seeks to develop within all CTE scholars the skills needed to successfully transition into post-secondary career opportunities and become positive, contributing constituents of a global society.
Career and Technical Education (CTE), formally referred to as vocational training, provides students with the training and skills to be successful in a career after high school and/or continue their education / training at technical school, an apprenticeship with a labor union or company, 2-year or 4-year college, or the military.
Cahokia High School offers several CTE Pathways, which are organized sequences of courses and activities that focus on a particular career industry and the various careers in that industry, such as Automotive, Business, Culinary Arts, Horticulture and Graphic Design.
The courses offered in a single CTE pathway provides students with the knowledge and hands-on skills necessary for success in students’ career area of interest. Some CTE courses feature real-world work experience projects that are developed with local businesses and industry professionals.
Students take CTE Pathway courses along with their other required courses (physical education, math, science, English, etc.)
CTE Pathways typically focus on education and training the 6 following areas:
In April 2023, according to the national Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE), 52% of jobs in Illinois require specialized skills training, and many employers have difficulty finding qualified and skilled workers.
CTE helps to fix this problem by offering CTE Pathways that teach students these valuable skills. CTE is most beneficial to high school students when they take 2 or more high school CTE courses within a CTE pathway such as Marketing. These students, called CTE Concentrators, gain more experience learning how to develop and apply these career-specific skills that employers desire.
The ACTE flyer below shows some information about CTE in Illinois.
Additionally, Career and Technical Education (CTE) gives students several advantages in postsecondary education and the workforce:
All students have equal access and opportunities to participate in CTE programs. Cahokia Unit School District #187 strives to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities.
Cahokia Unit School District #187 CTE Programs do not discriminate against students based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, ancestry, disability, veteran status, age, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law or activity protected by federal or state law.
Currently, Cahokia High School offers several CTE Pathways to all students in grades 9-12.
In the future, Cahokia Unit School District#187 CTE Programs plan to offer foundational CTE courses and experiences at the middle school level.
Participation in CTE Pathways and activities are completely free to students!
Cahokia Unit School District #187 and Cahokia High School CTE Pathways provide all costs including but not limited to, Special Populations student tuition for dual-enrollment programs, tools, personal protective equipment, textbooks, and materials to all students enrolled in CTE program courses.
