Career and technical education (CTE) programs prepare students for middle-income jobs that require education beyond high school but less than a bachelor's degree. There are five CTE pathways: degrees, postsecondary certificates, industry-based certifications, apprenticeships, and employer-based training. These pathways can lead to the over 11 million middle-income jobs that pay $50,000 or more per year and help address the disappearance of jobs that only require a high school education or less.

1. Career And Technical
Education:
Five Ways That Pay
Anthony P. Carnevale, Tamara Jayasundera and Andrew R.
Hanson
September 18, 2012

2. Overview
• As jobs that require only high school or less have
disappeared, postsecondary education and training on
the job and in schools have become the gateways to
the middle class.
• Middle class jobs require education and training
beyond high school, but less than a bachelor’s degree.

3. High School Graduate Job Outlook
• There are 29 million jobs that pay workers with a high
school diploma between $35,000 and $75,000, which
is still less than a Bachelor’s degree.
• Nearly 40 percent of middle-class jobs pay more than
$50,000.

4. Career and Technical Education Pathways
• Education and training programs, commonly referred
to as career and technical education (CTE), prepare
people for middle jobs.
• There are five CTE pathways that make further
education more affordable.

5. Human Capital
• The U.S. invests roughly $1.4 trillion in human capital
development each year.
• $524 billion has been spent on CTE pathways on an
annual basis.

6. Middle-class Jobs
• Middle-class jobs represent one out of five jobs in the
American economy.
• These jobs comprise nearly half of all middle class
jobs.

7. Con’t.
• 11 million middle-class jobs pay $50K or more.
• 4 million pay $75K or more.

8. Middle-class Job Requirements
• Although a degree isn’t necessary for all middle-class
jobs, most require some postsecondary education or
training.

9. Conclusion
• Career and technical education pathways must be
improved to foster adequate learning and increase the
wage potential of job seekers.
• Degrees, postsecondary certificates, industry-based
certifications, apprenticeships, and employer-based
training are five ways to excel in professional
industries.

10. For more information:
See the full report at: cew.georgetown.edu/CTE
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