Signature Supporters


ACTE and its signature supporters work together to promote the CTE field through a wide range of collaboration and focused initiatives. In addition, ACTE provides opportunities and benefits for businesses and organizations through our Corporate and Affiliate memberships. Please contact Michael Connet or Stephen DeWitt for more information regarding all of these opportunities.


ACTER is a professional association for scholars and others with research interests in the relationship between education and work. Through participation in the ACTER, members have the opportunity to collaborate on research projects, present research findings to national audiences, and receive recognition for service and scholarship in CTE.

Advance CTE: State Leaders Connecting Learning to Work is committed to supporting its members, collaborating with partners and engaging policymakers to advance CTE – learning that works for students, for secondary and postsecondary schools, for businesses and industry, and for America.

College Guidance Network (CGN) supports school counselors in their work advising students on post-secondary education and career pathways with a state-of-the-art virtual content platform that includes year-round live programming, a comprehensive library, featuring national experts, and counselor time-saving tools. CGN’s mission is to level the playing field so that all high school counselors, students and their families have access to the highest quality college and career information.

Digital Promise is a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for each learner. They work with educators, researchers, technology leaders, and communities to design, investigate, and scale up innovations that empower learners, especially those who’ve been historically and systematically excluded. Digital Promise's efforts are multifaceted and grounded in the real-world challenges facing learners and educators—from working to expand K-12 students’ access to high-speed internet, to providing adult learners with opportunities to earn micro-credentials that further their careers and secure their well-being.

The ECMC Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the ECMC Group, where they aim to inspire and to facilitate improvements that affect educational outcomes—especially among underserved populations—through evidence-based innovation.

Career and interest-themed academies serve as the Ford NGL practice model for transforming the secondary school experience. As a strong advocate on behalf of academies, Ford NGL recognizes that most skilled employment now requires a foundation of academic, 21st century, and technical knowledge and skills that must be mastered in high school, as well as additional education beyond high school. We believe that the most successful approach for high schools is one that infuses the high expectations and academic rigor of college preparatory academic programs with the real-world relevance and rigor of CTE. Such an integrated approach also promotes, supports, and accelerates a smooth transition to postsecondary education.

Harbor Freight Tools for Schools is a program of The Smidt Foundation, established to support the advancement of skilled trades education in America. Their flagship initiative, the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, annually awards more than $1 million to outstanding skilled trades teachers and their programs in public high schools across the United States.

Providing K-12 students with social emotional learning curriculum; it’s what we do. Why? Our world is complex and constantly changing, and the skills we all need to succeed involve emotional intelligence. It’s the foundation to help our students be their best and ultimately thrive in their careers. Used in over 100 districts nationwide, our online modules and professional learning are also used to support ACTE’s Inclusion, Access, Equity, and Diversity Mentorship program.

The International Vocational Education and Training Association is a network of vocational skills training organizations, business and industrial firms, and individuals interested or involved in vocational education and training worldwide. IVETA is dedicated to the advancement of high-quality vocational education and training throughout the world.

Expanding the scope of high quality online professional development available to our members is made possible through partnership with this nationally known online content provider. A broad portfolio of courses on pedagogy — and a selection of new free learning modules developed with Asia Society and the Project Management Institute Educational Foundation (PMIEF) — is available at CTE Learn.

For over 50 years, Encoura has committed to the mission of building paths for students to achieve their dreams. We designed myOptions Encourage so all students have equal opportunities to explore the college or career pathways that speak to them. The tools, advice, and resources in the program are free and purpose-built to provide personalized guidance and intentional engagement to all learners, their families, champions, and educators who support them along the way.

NAAE is a federation of state agricultural educators associations with more than 7,800 members involved in school-based agricultural education, from middle school through postsecondary, and at state and national levels. NAAE advocates for agricultural education, provides professional development and works to recruit and retain agricultural educators in the profession.

NCCER is an education foundation that supports more than 125 construction CEOs and various association and academic leaders who share the goal of developing a safe and productive workforce for the construction industry. Together, these companies created a standardized training and credentialing program that has evolved into curricula for more than 70 craft areas offered in over 4,000 NCCER-accredited training and assessment locations across the United States.

The National Coordinating Council for Career and Technical Student Organizations is a coalition of national career and technical student organizations (CTSOs) serving career and technical education students and teachers in one or more of the 16 Career Clusters® identified in The National Career Clusters® Framework.

NCLA - National Council of Local Administrators - provides leadership and advocacy in the promotion and development of career-technical education in the secondary and postsecondary school systems of the United States and its territories. Through its members, local state organizations provide leadership to carry out the mission and goals of NCLA.

NOCTI provides industry-based credentials and partner industry certifications for CTE programs across the nation. Whether using assessments to meet Perkins accountability requirements, to guide data-driven instructional improvement, or to assist with teacher evaluation systems, NOCTI provides solutions through its validated technical skill assessment.