This document discusses marketing Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Elgin Community College. It notes that ECC is required under the Perkins Act to offer secondary students opportunities to earn post-secondary credits in CTE programs that lead to industry credentials or associate/bachelor's degrees. The document presents data on declining CTE enrollment at ECC and proposes creating targeted marketing materials like brochures and websites to attract students, especially from underrepresented groups, and inform them of the value of CTE programs. These materials would highlight in-demand skills, career outcomes, and testimonials in order to engage audiences and increase enrollment.

1. Marketing CTE Programs of
Study
Engaging creative design for print & online
Cathy Taylor, Mgr., CTE Study Programs
Elgin Community College

2. Purpose
Elgin Community College (ECC) offers Career and Technical Education (CTE)
programs of study under the auspices of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act of 2006.
As a recipient of Perkins Grant funding, ECC is required to:
 Offer the opportunity, where appropriate, for secondary students to
acquire post-secondary credits, and
 [Academic opportunities that] Lead to an industry-recognized credential or
certificate at the post-secondary level, or an associate or baccalaureate
degree

3. Purpose (cont’d)
Given these guidelines, there is a compelling need for enhanced marketing of
CTE Programs of Study at Elgin Community College to attract and recruit
students from secondary schools and, especially, those in special populations
from District 509.

4. Pathway to
Results…
Post-secondary students and
adults enrolled in CTE
programs develop problem-
solving skills, critical thinking,
and interpersonal skills – all
identified by the Society for
Human Resources
Management (SHRM)as skills
in demand by employers.
Source: Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), Fact Sheets, CTE Works,
file:///C:/Users/test1/Downloads/CTE_Works_Fact_Sheet%203.11.2015.pdf

5. Demographic Research
Snapshot of CTE enrollment at ECC

6. Enrollment Breakdown
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
53,115
54,858
53,475
51,413
49,726
47,367
ECC ENROLLMENT
Series 1
Race/Ethnicity
• Steady decline since
2011
• 47K CTE student
enrollment represents
14% decline compared
to 2011
Source: ECC Institutional Research, Student Success Data, accessed March
3, 2016
Race/Ethnicity = American Indian/Asian, African-American, Latino, White,
Non-resident alien

7. Enrollment Breakdown
Based on Student Success
data, the majority of students
enrolled in CTE programs are
between 17-22 years of age.
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
63% 62% 62% 63%
65%
67%
17% 17% 17% 18% 17% 17%
10% 10% 11% 10% 9% 9%
CTE ENROLLMENT BY AGE
17-22 23-29 30-39
Source: ECC Institutional Research, Student Success Data, accessed March
3, 2016

8. PARTNER WITH MARKETING

9. CTE Brochure Examples
CTE Value
Prop
ECC Vision for CTE
Programs

10. CTE Brochure Examples
Quantifiable Data
to support value
propStudent
Expectations

11. CTE Brochure Examples
Engaging.
Good use of
images, data
& text

12. CTE Brochure Examples

13. CTE Brochure Examples

14. CTE Programs of Study
Marketing the Way Forward…
The objective is to create CTE specific marketing assets that include the
following:
 Industry data, i.e., composite of skills gaps at local, state, & national level
 ECC Vision for CTE Programs
 CTE value proposition “What’s in it for me?”
 Geared towards students, secondary educators, parents, & business partners
 Quantifiable data to support value prop
 Images and testimonials from ECC grads
 Diverse images that target special populations

15. CTE Programs of Study
Marketing the Way Forward…
 Design public-facing fact sheets that will
 Engage the target audience
 Relevant industry data to inform the target audience
 Leverage storytelling to attract students, parents, educators and
business partners
 CTE Programs of Study website that:
 Contains dynamic content for our target audience
 Interactive & relevant to students, parents, secondary educators &
business partners (e.g., gamification of careers, BLS projections)
 Reduce print costs

16. Q & A