This study unveils the effects of recruiting and enrolling career and technical education (CTE) students. These students have chosen a path that stems from their interests and is promoted by career clusters that are available in CTE institutions. The study was to determine if living in a rural or non rural area determines greater enrollment rates and what demographic of people choose these options. The research investigated if there were key factors or barriers that led to CTE decisions to enroll in a workforce program as an alternative of a two or four-year degree program. The results discovered that students choose CTE for various reasons and enrollment is conducive to the needs of business and industry. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]