Career-connected learning is an educational strategy that combines high-quality academic instruction, skill-based learning, and real-world experiences to prepare students with the knowledge and skills that they need to pursue their career goals. Career-connected learning is especially important for an often-overlooked group of students including…

The past decade has seen a resurgence of interest in career and technical education (CTE) as a way to engage students, help people build the skills necessary to succeed in a technologically advanced economy, and meet employer demand for workers. MDRC--which has a two-decade history of developing and evaluating CTE programs, including their…

Apprenticeships are a time-honored way of passing along skills in an art, trade, or craft. Apprenticeships have long been an important element of career and technical education (CTE). From automotive technology to the construction trades to the culinary arts and beyond, community colleges across the nation are still using apprenticeships to…

The development of a career orientation program in vocational agriculture in Golden, Colorado met with problems but ultimately satisfying results. (MW)

This study was conducted to determine what vocational counseling strategies are used with students who enroll in vocational education programs, their effectiveness, and their perceptions of helpfulness by graduates and employers. Different surveys were developed and sent to the following groups in Colorado: 60 high school counselors, 60…

The Colorado Vocational Act of 1970 was adopted by the Colorado General Assembly to provide assistance to local school districts operating vocational education programs approved by the Colorado State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education. The rules detail the requirements and processes for reimbursement of school districts under…

This review of research is part of a larger project which identified exemplary community college programs that employ innovative curriculum and instructional practices in order to help low-skilled adults attain a family sustainable wage. The project goal was to identify best practices that are replicable at other community colleges. These programs…

This handbook, which is intended for K-12 teachers in Colorado, explains how to integrate academic content standards and assessments with workplace competencies and school-to-career activities. The handbook is divided into four sections. The first presents the Colorado General Workplace Competencies, which describe the skills and knowledge…