What is Career & Technical Education

GENERAL CTE PROGRAM OVERVIEW Students who attend Steel Center can gain a labor market advantage through active learning that meets the expectations of 21st century employers and colleges. Each program will guide students through rigorous career oriented practical activities reinforced through core academic instruction. Students’ employability will be further promoted by their opportunity to gain industry standard certifications required by local employers. Students also have opportunities to join career and technical student organizations (CTSOs), where they will learn leadership and citizenship principles. For more information about the opportunities offered at Steel Center, please visit the school’s website. PDE PROGRAMS OF STUDY (POS) In accordance with the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (Act), all postsecondary institutions receiving funds under the Act are required to award college-level credit or equivalent clock hours to a matriculated student and apply that credit toward the completion of the approved Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Program of Study (POS), leading to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at the postsecondary level or an associate or baccalaureate degree. The purpose of this agreement is to ensure that students make the transition from a school entity (Steel Center) to another school entity, college or university, or a business/industry without experiencing delays in or duplication of learning. This agreement sets forth the terms and conditions for the awarding of college-level credit or equivalent clock hours to students who complete the approved PDE POS at a secondary school, so that those students can seamlessly continue their education in a related POS at a postsecondary institution. This agreement outlines the general conditions between secondary and postsecondary institutions. STEEL CENTER CAREER MAJORS Steel Center currently offers 17 career majors. Each major is based on currently state-approved curricula, inclusive of written (theoretical) activities, performance tasks, demonstration of work ethic, and professionalism. For each major, students may earn three (3) or more Carnegie Units (credits) per year, depending on local sending school district policies for credit acquisition. Students may also earn industry certifications in respective programs. Steel Center’s career majors are as follows, listed alphabetically by local title and accompanied by Pennsylvania Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) codes: