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The confirmation process for the next education secretary has made it clear there is bipartisan support for a nationwide focus on career and technical education. New Jersey’s county vocational-technical schools should serve as a model for effective CTE. These county-based schools are accessible to interested high school students across the state, preparing them for high-skill, high-demand jobs that have long-term economic benefits.

Much of that preparation is dependent on classrooms that resemble real-world work environments. By pooling resources, including grants from federal Perkins funding, the schools have been able to invest in state-of-the-art technology and tools, so students gain the experiences and skills sought by employers. The impact of such funding on both public schools and the workforce should validate its worth.

While sufficient funding is important, it is not the full answer. New Jersey has a structure in place to effectively use such resources.

In each of New Jersey’s 21 counties, all students have the choice to apply to a high school where they receive a focused education and training in a field of interest — at no cost to families. Program offerings range from construction trades to health care, to information technology and everything in between, creating a modern career and technical education experience. Such a breadth of options attracts students with varying ambitions who realize the benefits of getting a head start, regardless of their next steps after high school.

Benefits extend beyond students’ personal successes to include economic implications. The schools’ career programs rely on partnerships with employers across the state, who not only advise on curriculum and offer work-based learning, but also present opportunities for internships, apprenticeships and employment. As a result, pipelines exist throughout New Jersey that feed unions, businesses, hospitals and research labs with new talent ready to make an impact on day one.

The county-based model gives students access to broad career preparation opportunities that are difficult to replicate in a local high school.

In addition to the industry partnerships, schools have agreements with New Jersey county colleges and other institutions of higher education that offer students the chance to earn college credits while still in high school. A focused curriculum also means many programs prepare students to earn industry-valued credentials through their course of study. All these outcomes were called out as priorities for the next U.S. secretary of education during her confirmation hearing.

Prioritizing career readiness

A school culture and framework that prioritizes career readiness adds meaning to students’ high school education, enhancing their level of engagement and leading to some impressive stats. New Jersey’s county vocational-technical schools have a graduation rate of 99% – 8 points above the New Jersey state average. More than 70% of graduates attend two- or four-year colleges and 4,500-plus graduates annually earn industry-valued credentials.

In addition, more than 10,000 students annually take classes eligible for college credit, and hundreds earn enough for an associate degree, saving them as much as two years of college tuition.

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Beyond the numbers are stories of success that validate the importance of providing students with resources to discover their passion and challenge themselves early on. Such an experience gives them a foundation to be difference-makers in their field.

A recent example is Ishani Singh, a senior in Monmouth County Vocational School District’s High Technology High School. Singh founded Girls Rule AI, an initiative offering free introduction to AI courses to female students. So far, she has enrolled 200 girls in 25 states and six countries into the courses, giving them the knowledge and the confidence to continue pursuing careers in tech.

In the southern part of the state, high school senior and aspiring astronaut Alyvia Valentin earned college credits through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a private pilot license, both through the aviation studies program at Atlantic County Institute of Technology. She said the opportunity to not only study aviation in high school, but progress significantly toward her goal of becoming an astronaut has motivated her to keep that goal in sight.

Atlantic County Institute of Technology continues to enhance its aviation offerings after receiving grant funding from the New Jersey voter approved Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act. The district’s expansion will include advanced studies in unmanned aerial systems and the new aviation maintenance technologies program, which will be housed in a new building with an airplane hangar to be used as a learning lab. The state’s move to put the bond act on the ballot was strategic, offering funding to districts that planned to add or expand career programs in direct response to current and projected employment needs.

The schools have demonstrated an effective use of funding from the state, their respective counties, foundations and the federal government to develop learning experiences for students that truly advance them in their areas of study.

With February recognized as Career and Technical Education Month, the spotlight shone bright on many more successes linked to vocational-technical education. I encourage the new administration to take notice and continue to support this model of education. Learn from what has worked across New Jersey’s county vocational-technical schools and invest in preparing the next generation to lead us in all industries. This will ultimately make our workforce and economy stronger.

Jackie Burke is executive director of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools.