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February 2025: Career and Technical Education Month
February 01, 2025
WHEREAS, career and technical education in Michigan prepares students at the secondary and postsecondary levels to have the academic, technical, employability, and career skills to enter, compete, and advance in education and their careers; and,
WHEREAS, career and technical education offers a diverse delivery system that provides students with leadership opportunities in various career fields, allowing for the rigorous and relevant application of workplace skills while incorporating reading, writing, and mathematics; and,
WHEREAS, career and technical education programs serve as a career and college-ready connection and are the foundation of a strong and well-educated workforce and should be available to students in every corner of Michigan; and,
WHEREAS, career and technical education offers students opportunities to earn college credit, industry certification, and licenses in high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand fields, as aligned with Michigan’s Top 10 Strategic Education Plan to expand secondary learning opportunities for all students and increase the percentage of adults with a post-secondary credential; and,
WHEREAS, career and technical education provides students with work-based learning experiences to provide Michigan with a highly skilled, sustainable workforce, which will help achieve the state’s goal of reaching 60% postsecondary education attainment rate by 2030; and,
WHEREAS, according to the Michigan Department of Education, in the 2023-24 school year, 112,156 students enrolled in CTE programs, the third year of increases totaling more than 9,000 students, or 9%, since the 2020-21 school year enrollment of 102,988 and CTE completers have increased more than 8,000 students, or 19% from 44,226 in 2020-21 to 52,625 in 2023-24.
WHEREAS, during this month, we join with the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, and the Michigan Association for Career and Technical Education to encourage youths and adults in Michigan to be ambassadors for career and technical education, and to send the message that Michigan career and technical education students are prepared for 21st-century high-wage, high-skilled, and in-demand jobs;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, and Garlin Gilchrist II, lieutenant governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim February 2025 as Career and Technical Education Month in Michigan