Career and Technical Education (CTE) | Workforce Development
Why The USA Needs CTE
Dusty Moore is the CEO of iCEV. His passion for CTE began in high school through FFA and has driven his 20+ year career at iCEV. Growing up in Boys Ranch, TX, Dusty saw firsthand how CTE changes lives, and he remains committed to supporting educators and students in building a stronger, more skilled workforce.
In 1776, a bold vision took root. What followed was 250 years of discovery, invention, sacrifice, and progress driven by generations of Americans who built communities, expanded industries, solved problems, and continually pushed the nation forward.
This summer, the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary. As we mark this milestone, we honor the skilled hands that built this country and the role Career and Technical Education has had in our nation’s success.
The welders, nurses, agriculturists, teachers, and engineers who built America were shaped by pathways that connected learning to real work. Their contributions powered America’s progress across every industry and every community. If we want to celebrate the 500th anniversary of this nation, the next 250 years will depend on the same foundation.
For almost 30 years, I have had the opportunity to witness the impact CTE makes in students, families, and communities. I, myself, am a product of CTE, and have spent the last 24 years at iCEV supporting the educators and leaders who make that impact possible every day.
A year ago, I wrote about why the world needs CTE. Today, with America’s 250th on the horizon, I’m making it even more direct: the USA needs CTE. This is a call to action — not just a celebration.
How Skilled Hands Built This Country
When we think about how America got here - the cities, the infrastructure, the healthcare system, the food supply - we realize that skilled workers built it all. Through the industrial revolution, through booms and recessions, through wars and recovery, the workforce showed up with grit, mastery, and care. Career and Technical Education is what prepared them.
Yet, the story is not complete. What we built is not finished. We won’t be here to celebrate 500 years without the skilled labor of the next 250. The students in Career and Technical Education classrooms today are the capable professionals of tomorrow who will keep this country excelling.
That’s what The USA Needs CTE campaign is about: a call for the entire CTE community - the students, parents, educators, and industry partners - to both honor the past and commit to the future.
Why Career and Technical Education Is the Foundation of Student Success
Career and Technical Education is where today’s students discover what they’re capable of - where hands-on learning builds their confidence, develops real skills, and gives them a clear sense of purpose.
What I have seen over close to three decades of involvement in CTE programs confirms this every day. When students are given real skills, real purpose, and career pathways that connect learning to what comes next, they step into the world ready to contribute. As we explored in our report, The World Needs CTE: Building a Future-Ready Workforce, the future of American progress will be built with ingenuity, teamwork, courage, and skill: all things CTE develops.
How CTE Builds College and Career Readiness
Right now, industries need talent. Communities need opportunity. Students need career pathways that connect learning to what comes next. Career and Technical Education is where all three of those needs meet.
Whether it’s earning industry certifications before graduation, gaining hands-on experience in every career cluster, or building the employability skills that set students apart in the job market, CTE draws a direct line from the classroom to a career. That’s not supplemental. That is education doing exactly what it should.
The Future of America is in Today’s CTE Classrooms
As America turns 250, this is a moment to be clear about what got us here and what will carry us forward. The story of this country is the story of skilled people who showed up, did the work, and built something that outlasted them. That is the legacy of Career and Technical Education.
What’s happening in CTE classrooms today is now shaping more than future careers. It’s shaping the future of America. The students learning to weld, to care for patients, to feed the nation, to design infrastructure: they are the ones who will get us to the 500th.
The USA Needs CTE campaign is a call for every educator, leader, and student to add their voice. I hope you’ll watch The USA Needs CTE video, share it, and be part of what comes next. Because the USA needs Career and Technical Education — and America needs you.