Career and Technical Education

Career Technical Education Logo Career and Technical Education (CTE) provides several avenues for students to explore what awaits them after high school. Through the numerous CTE programs in Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), students have multiple opportunities to earn college credit, industry-recognized credentials, and participate in internships, pre-apprenticeships and other work-based learning activities.

CTE Pathways exist in nearly all CPS' high schools. Through the high school of choice lottery system, students can choose from more than 20 pathways in which to enroll.

Benefits of CTE

Participating in CTE programs provides students many benefits including:

High graduation rates
Clears paths to a chosen career
Better student engagement
Opportunities to earn college credit and industry-recognized credentials in every pathway
Enhanced learning based on work experience and real-world applications

CTE Pathways

CTE Career Pathways — students can earn numerous Industry Credentials in high school within the pathways:

Agricultural and Environmental Systems
Arts and Communication
Business
Construction Technology
Education
Engineering and Science Technologies
Health Science
Hospitality and Tourism
Information Technology
Law and Public Safety
Manufacturing

Find more career exploration and related activities here.

This table contains where our pathways are located.

Career Areas	Participating Schools and Pathways
Agriculture and Environmental Systems	Aiken High School — Agribusiness and Production Systems Clark Montessori High School — Horticulture Gamble Montessori High School — Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Hughes STEM High School — Animal Science
Arts and Communication	Oyler School — Media Arts SCPA — Media Arts SCPA — Performing Arts SCPA— Visual Design and Imaging
Business	Withrow University High School — Business
Construction Technologies	Woodward Career Technical High School — Construction
Education	Aiken High School — Early Childhood Education Aiken High School— Teaching Professions
Engineering and Science Technologies	Aiken High School — Engineering Hughes STEM High School — Engineering Woodward Career Technical High School — Engineering
Health Science	Hughes STEM High School — Medical Bioscience Riverview East Academy — Allied Health and Nursing Shroder High School — Pharmacy Tech (Senior Only) Woodward Career Technical High School — Medical Bioscience
Hospitality and Tourism	Dater High School — Culinary
Information Technology	Hughes STEM High School — Programming and Software Development Taft IT High School — Cybersecurity Taft IT High School — Interactive Media Taft IT High School — Information Support and Services
Manufacturing	Woodward Career Technical High School — Manufacturing
Law and Public Safety	Western Hills University High School — Firefighting and EMS Western Hills University High School — EMT (Senior Only)

A complete description of high schools, as well as additional information about CTE, can be found in the Cincinnati Public Schools High School Guide.

Career and Technical Education Experiences

Beyond the Tassel Series

The Beyond the Tassel speaker series was created as an opportunity to connect with students and families around critical topics associated with college and career attainment. The series is streamed online via Facebook live. Students and families get an opportunity to listen and ask questions of area experts in the college and career space.

Find 2021-22 Beyond the Tassel Dates

Internships and Pre-apprenticeships

Several career areas include opportunities for internships and pre-apprenticeships, which equip students with real-life applications to what is being learned in the classroom. Internships offer paid experiences for students which can lead to employment after graduation. Pre-apprenticeships offer students classroom learning in conjunction with work-based learning opportunities. Upon completion of a pre-apprenticeship, students complete valuable pathways towards graduation, including earning a 12-point industry recognized credential.

Industry-recognized Credentials

An industry-recognized credential is a verification of a person’s qualifications. These credentials are developed in partnership with employers and are fully recognized by the business community.

Earning an industry credential gives students experience and deeper learning based on practicing and applying their knowledge in work and employment settings. Students learn about workplace expectations and career pathways that lead to successful careers.

Industry-recognized credentials for CPS students include, but are not limited to, the following: