New Hampshire Department of Education Seeks to Expand Access to Career and Technical Education Programs

CONCORD- The New Hampshire Department of Education has completed a comprehensive review of its Career and Technical Education programs with the goal of making these programs more accessible to students. The report titled "Increasing Equitable Access to Career and Technical Education" provides in-depth research on the Department's efforts to identify barriers regarding access to career and technical education (CTE), and to determine potential strategies to address these barriers.

Career and technical education gives students an unconventional hands-on learning experience in high demand employment fields. These courses can also be used to earn college credit. The research and resulting report were prepared for the Department by RMC Research, an independent research organization based in New Hampshire.

“CTE Programming provides incredible educational and career pathway oriented opportunities to New Hampshire Students,” said Frank Edelblut, Commissioner of Education. “This report confirms much of what we were seeing, but goes beyond that and provides concrete steps that the state and CTE programs can take to ensure students have access to these valuable programs.”

Currently, 71% of students enrolled in programs have a CTE center co-located in their high school. This compares to 29% of students that are enrolled in programs that do not have a co-located CTE center and must be provided transportation to participate in the programs. Some of the ideas to help overcome this accessibility concern include, among others, better coordination of scheduling and transportation, as well as calendars, between districts.

“This research confirmed many of the important issues CTE leaders and other educators have been aware of for many years," added Eric Frauwirth, Director of the Bureau of Career Development. "Now we have a set of strategies to explore, and will continue to engage with stakeholders and local communities to determine the best options for the students and families they serve."

The research report is available for download on the Department's Bureau of Career Development page.

If you would like to learn more about the New Hampshire Department of Education’s research on increasing access to career and technical education (CTE), please register below to join us for an information session.

• Wednesday, March 17, 9:30 am Register here
• Wednesday, March 24, 2:30 pm Register here

If you would like the New Hampshire Department of Education to schedule a presentation specifically for your organization, please contact Eric Frauwirth, Director of the Bureau of Career Development.

This is only the beginning of the Department’s study of this subject. Additional feedback is being sought from high school students who did not participate in CTE programs. Those students in 11th or 12th grade, or recent graduates, who did not participate in a CTE program, are encouraged to contact Eric Frauwirth.

For more information, contact Eric Frauwirth, Director, Bureau of Career Development at (603) 271-3867 or eric.c.frauwirth@doe.nh.gov.