February is designated as “CTE Month” to highlight the importance of career and technical education. Previously called vocational education or vo-tech, today’s CTE courses provide students with real-world skills they will need to enter the workforce in 16 different industries including, business, sales, finance, manufacturing, construction and others.

The 16 "tracks" of career and technical education also known as CTEWe believe strongly in supporting career and technical education and, as part of our 1% Campaign, we donate to CTE programs at Central Oregon Community College (COCC). The list of available CTE courses at COCC is robust, and covers aviation, culinary arts, Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), forest ecology and protection, small business entrepreneurship, welding and much more.

Not only are CTE courses available at COCC, but they are increasingly available in Bend high schools including Bend Senior, Mountain View and Summit. The Bend-La Pine School District also offers a School-to-Career program that helps students develop skills and experiences to build a resume while earning a credit toward graduation. Participation in CTE courses at the high school level has many benefits for students including:

  • 95% of CTE students graduate high school, 10% higher than the national average
  • 91% of high school graduates who earn 2-3 CTE credits enroll in college
  • Technical and applied science graduates earn $2,000 to $11,000 more per year than those with a bachelor’s degree
  • Most CTE students say the classes helped them get better grades and define their post-high school education and career goals

As real estate professionals, our team works closely with many talented people in banking, home construction and skilled trades, and knows firsthand the positive impact these workers have on our quality of life and our local economy. Through relationships we’ve built over decades, we are honored to work with people at lending and title companies who make the transactions for our clients as flawless and efficient as possible. We are also grateful to have a pool of skilled architects, contractors, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and landscape designers in Bend who we consult with and refer to our clients.

Curious about how the hands-on learning CTE courses provide could help the students in your family? Learn more about Career and Technical Education (CTE) here.

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