February is Career and Technical Education Month®! Across the globe, students are learning skills and gaining experiences to prepare for the workforce. From studying for a career in healthcare to being a marketing expert, CTE offers opportunities to try new things and find a career that best fits your interests and passions. As February approaches, you may ask yourself how we can celebrate CTE in our schools. Below are four suggestions to display and bring awareness to all the excellent CTE opportunities awaiting!
1. Share Your Experiences
Advocacy for CTE and CTSOs (Career and Technical Student Organizations), such as DECA, starts in your community. Sharing your story with local policymakers, media outlets, alumni and stakeholders (virtually or in-person) ensures that the next generation of CTE students can have the same career development experiences as you. Reflecting on your time in CTE and DECA, preparing simple remarks and showing up prepared to advocate for CTE will surely impress your audience.
2. Create a CTE Display
Share your work, whether it’s a creative paper display on a corkboard in the cafeteria or a walk-through show of the written event presentations from an Association Conference. With innovative projects, invite your peers and industry leaders to see what you have been working on to celebrate CTE.
3. Talk to Alumni Members (from all CTSOs)
Business professionals and industry leaders got started somewhere, too. Whether in DECA, the classroom or another CTSO, ask questions and gain invaluable insight into building a career. Then, share your findings through social media and school visits!
4. Invite the Community to Be Part of CTE Month
By inviting community members to judge competitions, hosting a booth at your association’s conference trade show or speaking to your classmates about their professional expertise, you are demonstrating the impact of CTE. Allowing your community to be a part of creating the next generation of the workforce will increase support and generate excitement about CTE.
This February, celebrate your CTE experiences and invite other students to join the fun. You can start your celebration right in your community today. Happy CTE Month, DECA!
