DeSoto ISD Career and Technical Education Month

Celebrate Today, Own Tomorrow!
Posted on 02/10/2022
CTE Month

The DeSoto Independent School District joins other school systems across the nation during the month of February to celebrate national Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month®. This year’s tagline is Celebrate Today, Own Tomorrow! in alignment with CTE’s goal of preparing the workforce of the future.

CTE Month provides career and workforce development programs across the country an opportunity to demonstrate the correlation of college- and career- readiness and workforce readiness as these industry-focused learning and training courses prepare district scholars for high-wage, high-demand career fields.  

Nationally, CTE encompasses 94 percent of high school students and 13 million postsecondary students in the United States and includes high schools, career centers, community and technical colleges, four-year universities and more. CTE is a major part of the solution to myriad national economic and workforce problems, such as high school dropout rates, a weakened economy, global competitiveness and massive layoffs. At a time when the opportunity for employment is so critical, CTE programs in every community are ensuring students are equipped with the skills to successfully enter the workforce. 

“In DeSoto ISD, we continue to work to intentionally design the rigor and relevance of CTE courses offered to our students,” said Nicholas Johnson, director of Career and Technical Education in DeSoto ISD. “By partnering with our local DeSoto and Glenn Heights business community, the district’s CTE programs are investing in students and providing them with the relevant experiences and skills that will prepare them to become successful employees and future leaders.”

In DeSoto ISD, Johnson emphasizes the importance of helping students understand the opportunities available to them.

“Our students have to see it to aspire to be it,” Johnson said while discussing the importance of the department’s work to create internship opportunities and programs like the Texas Trust Student Teller program, which places students in teller positions in local branches where they can learn foundational basics of the profession and advancement opportunities. This also includes positions at DW Distribution, where students can understand the full operation of a distribution warehouse from labor to marketing to logistics and engineering as well as opportunities for professional experience through educational practices like that of the health science students at Charlton Methodist Hospital. 

In DeSoto ISD, CTE begins as early as eighth-grade. Here, students can engage in career exploration before high school and provide insight into areas of study.

The DeSoto ISD Career and Technical Education program offer areas of study for students in grades 8-12. Some of the district’s most popular programs include agriculture, veterinary science, horticulture, cosmetology, criminal justice, culinary arts, business, and marketing.

CTE’s umbrella endorsement programs include:

  • Arts & Humanities Endorsement
  • Business & Industry Endorsement
  • Multidisciplinary Endorsement
  • Public Service Endorsement
  • STEM Endorsement 

For information about Career and Technical Education opportunities in DeSoto ISD, visit www.DeSotoISD.org/CTE.

Check out this DeSoto ISD CTE student project providing an overview of the district’s programs and offerings here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13SvSSXc8PKf6_iM0U_9lT75IWeKZAxnJ/view

 

About ACTE

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness, and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.