Engage Families & Learners
Engaging Families and Learners
Advance CTE has become a national leader in Career Technical Education (CTE) messaging research and support for state and local leaders to communicate effectively with all learners and their families.
While enrollment in CTE programs has remained resilient in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, enrollment is still too stagnant given CTE’s importance to our nation’s economy and workforce. This is in part because of outdated perceptions, and lack of awareness and understanding of the value and impact of career tech programs, and the need for more supports to ensure all learners can succeed in the program of their choice. Advance CTE supports state in connecting partner engagement, program quality, and communications to reach more learners, close program enrollment gaps, and build sustainable learner and family engagement practices.
Since 2017, Advance CTE has conducted two rounds of national research to find out the messages and themes that most resonate with learners and their families, and piloted the communications research with 15 states through four state cohorts.
Effectively Communicating CTE to Engage Every Learner: A Recruitment and Engagement Tool
This tool provides a flexible step-by-step process for state and local CTE leaders to create more effective recruitment and program communications for all learners.
Through a self-paced tool consisting of seven short videos and an accompanying workbook, users engage with and create communications for key audiences, increase partner engagement, and develop ongoing cycles to assess the effectiveness of communications and recruitment processes and adjust accordingly.
UPDATED: Customizable CTE Program Recruitment Templates
Use our customizable Canva templates to get started now on designing your CTE recruitment materials! Our collection includes templates for postcards, posters, social media, and more.
Explore Advance CTE’s national research with learners and families on benefits and impactful messages for the value of CTE.
Messaging Resources and Tools
These resources empower CTE leaders to easily and consistently apply Advance CTE’s research in their work offer recruitment activities that remove barriers to learners and families to see themselves in and commit to CTE as an option for education.
Digital and Print Materials
Our customizable resources make it easy for CTE leaders to incorporate their recruitment messages and program offerings with our dynamic design, created in partnership with Canva expert Roger Cole.
Case Studies
These case studies share outcomes and lessons learned from Advance CTE’s support of states to pilot innovative and effective models to communicate about CTE with key partners, learners and their families, to expand awareness of and recruitment of all learner populations into high-quality CTE programs. They also provide guidiance for building learner leadership structures and enhancing program access and supports.
