Advance CTE recently hosted a webinar sharing the results of a three-year study examining adult perceptions of CTE. The study surveyed over 1,000 adults in the United States from 2023-25 and found that while awareness of CTE is limited, support has been growing over the past few years and adults who are aware of CTE strongly support it. More specific findings include the following: 

• The percentage of adults aware of CTE jumped 10 percentage points from 2023 (35%) to 2025 (45%). 

• • Groups varied in their awareness of CTE, with the greatest awareness among Black/African American respondents (61%), Gen Z (58%) and parents (56%). 

• Favorability of CTE rose nine percentage points from 2023 (75%) to 2025 (84%). 

• Vocational education, career centers and career pathways are the CTE-related terms of which adults are most aware. 

• There is strong bipartisan support for CTE funding. 

• • Total support for additional CTE funding increased eight percentage points from 2023 (71%) to 2025 (79%). 

• • Eighty-four percent of adults agree that investing in CTE has a positive outcome on public education, and 87% agree that our country needs more CTE to prepare students for careers. Similarly, 85% agree that CTE will help fill the demand for highly skilled workers. 

• In 2025, 46% of parents indicated that they are either very or extremely interested in a CTE program for their child, up from 40% in 2023. 

• Misconceptions on who CTE is for persist: adults are more likely to say that students who want a job immediately after high school (65%) and trade school students (53%) should participate in CTE compared to college-bound students (17%) and high-achieving students (15%). 

• Gen Z adults have a higher level of CTE awareness compared to the national average but have lower favorability views of CTE. They are also more likely to say that college students should participate in CTE. 

Advance CTE also conducted messaging research and asked survey respondents to select phrases that are the most motivating reasons to participate in CTE. The top three phrases selected by respondents are: 

• “Gain skills and experience that lead to financial security and independence” 

•  “Get hands-on learning in the classroom and workplace” 

• “Build skills and connections for your career and for continuing your education” 

Practitioners interested in CTE awareness and communication resources can view Advance CTE’s slate of resources here. ACTE also has several related resources, including this guide on engaging families.