Instructors who aim to teach academic subjects generally complete university-based teacher preparation before entering the classroom.

In CTE, the situation is more varied. Some instructors follow this more traditional route, especially in subjects such as agriculture, business and family and consumer sciences.

However, a greater percentage of teachers in CTE pursue a pathway that moves them quickly into the classroom, where they can teach and earn while participating in preparation and induction programs. About 39% of all public school CTE teachers enter teaching through an alternative certification program, compared to 19% overall (NTPS 2020-21). These new teachers are learning pedagogical skills and classroom management while on the job, a heavy lift that may require extra support from administrators and mentor teachers.

Increasingly, academic instructors are also transitioning to teach CTE courses instead of or in addition to core subject areas. These instructors may need extra support to get up to date on relevant occupational skills and on the problem- and project-based teaching strategies used frequently in CTE classrooms and labs.

CTE teachers should have both occupational skills and experience relevant to the CTE program(s) they teach and pedagogical skills to deliver that content.

While the specifics vary by state, secondary CTE teachers generally must have some combination of the following for licensure:

• Relevant work experience
• A relevant industry certification or license
• A pass on an exam in the relevant subject matter
• Pedagogical coursework

Requirements for education are often balanced with occupational experience. For instance, applicants with a high school diploma as their highest credential are likely to be asked to demonstrate more hours of experience, while candidates with a bachelor’s degree need fewer hours.

In addition, 26 states require CTE teachers to hold an industry-recognized credential.

Requirements to Teach Dual Enrollment Courses

To teach dual-credit courses, instructors are often required to hold a master’s degree, even CTE teachers.

However, some states and accreditation agencies like the Higher Learning Commission have taken steps to expand flexibility for CTE instructors. For instance, in Illinois, CTE teachers need approval from a college along with 2,000 hours of work experience and appropriate credentials in their field.

Licensure Types

The language of CTE teacher licensure varies widely by state and, within states, often differs by CTE subject area and level of education. Terms like “initial,” “temporary,” “emergency,” “limited,” “professional” and “standard” may be used. However, in general, there are certifications for new CTE teachers, certifications for experienced CTE teachers, and certifications for emergency hires.

In addition, several states allow an adjunct or part-time licensure. This is more common in states that use an area technical center model where CTE courses, particularly those that require more intensive facilities and equipment, are taught at a centralized campus that students from across a region attend on a part-time basis.

For example, in Kentucky, part-time CTE teachers with a high school diploma and at least four years of relevant occupational experience can be hired on a year-to-year contract basis. These part-time teachers work at a reduced FTE of up to .69 and are not eligible for continuing service status or retirement provisions.

State-specific Info: Find CTE teacher licensure requirements for your state with our State-by-State Resource List.

While CTE as a whole is not as difficult a subject area to fill as some, like special education, it is a challenge when it comes to hiring and retention, and specific CTE subject areas can be extremely challenging.

In fall 2024, 15% of public schools reported CTE understaffing (School Pulse Panel), while 30 states or territories have reported CTE teacher shortages in 2024 or beyond (U.S. Department of Education Teacher Shortage Areas).

One of the main challenges is that people with occupational experience can often make more money in industry than in the classroom: CTE teachers can earn nearly 20% more, on average, in private industry (Brookings Institution 2024). Some institutions and districts have addressed this by creating salary scales that recognize years of industry experience and industry credentials as well as years of teaching experience, as in Beaumont Unified School District in California.

Another challenge revolves around preparation and induction. CTE teachers often come through alternative routes that have them learning on the job, which can be quite stressful. In fact, alternatively licensed CTE teachers are 25% more likely to leave teaching than non-CTE teachers (Brookings Institution 2024).

CTE teachers also take on many responsibilities, including some that those in core subject areas may not have (or have to the same extent). In addition to all the responsibilities that are part of instruction and assessment in a classroom and/or lab, they may also be responsible for the following:

• Serving as an adviser for a career and technical student organization
• Developing and overseeing work-based learning
• Supporting career planning activities
• Reporting data
• Participating in the comprehensive local needs assessment

Another complicating factor is the isolation that many CTE teachers experience. They may have few to no colleagues in their school who teach the same CTE subject area and to whom they can turn for mentorship, support and professional learning. This isolation is only compounded if a school has a culture that devalues CTE.

A strong induction and onboarding program can help new CTE teachers develop the skills they need for success in the classroom while also building a network of fellow CTE educators for mentorship and peer learning.

The key elements to a strong induction program include the following:

• The theory and practice of developing and delivering curriculum, instruction and assessment
• The theory and practice of classroom management
• The CTE system and related reporting requirements
• Mentorship from an experienced CTE teacher, which may include co-teaching
• The opportunity to network with peers to share challenges and strategies

The Minnesota CTE Teacher Induction Program (TIP) provides new CTE teachers – including those transitioning from industry – with mentoring, professional development and other resources to support them in their first few years in the classroom. The program has seen strong success, with more than 97% of participants returning to teach the following year.

In Kentucky, the New Teacher Institute (NTI) is a two-year induction program that supports CTE teachers pursuing professional certification. In addition to mentoring and professional development, participants also have the opportunity to enroll in coursework at the University of Louisville.

Professional development for CTE is not just one and done. CTE teachers need opportunities to hone and maintain their knowledge and skills in education and in the relevant industry and occupations.

• CTE- and discipline-specific professional development: Instructors need professional learning on teaching strategies in their specific program areas as well as on topics like work-based learning.
• Externships: This type of professional learning enables teachers to visit worksites to experience industry and occupational innovations in the program areas they teach.
• Communities of practice: Many CTE teachers may be the only instructor, or one of only a handful of instructors, at their school site teaching their subject. Online communities of practice like those offered by ACTE can provide a chance for CTE teachers to network with their peers and more experienced instructors.
• Leadership development: Opportunities for growth and advancement can help you retain CTE teachers and enable them to develop into leaders. ACTE’s Leadership Programs are one option to help cultivate the next generation of leaders within CTE.

Teacher evaluation for CTE instructors is similar in theory to evaluation for academic teachers but may look different in practice. It’s important, therefore, to consider the following when evaluating CTE teachers yourself or choosing appropriate peer evaluators:

• Whether the evaluators have CTE content expertise
• Rubrics that accommodate the project-based learning and performance-based assessment common in CTE
• The variety of ways CTE students may demonstrate their academic, technical and employability skills
• Student attainment of industry-recognized credentials and other measures that may be unique to CTE programs