ACTE History


Moving Forward

The Association for Career and Technical Education® (ACTE) is the largest national education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for careers. The Association for Career and Technical Education was founded in 1926, when a Coca-Cola cost a nickel, Calvin Coolidge was president and 10 years after the federal government began funding “vocational education” through the Smith-Hughes Act.

Career and technical education (CTE) as we know it today has its roots in the founding of the United States. From the start, a strong knowledge base and skill set for citizens were considered important. ACTE is committed to enhancing the job performance and satisfaction of its members; to increasing public awareness and appreciation for CTE; and to assuring growth in local, state and federal funding for these programs by communicating and working with legislators and government leaders.

Here’s a snapshot of our history through the years from the 75th Anniversary issue of Techniques  magazine, published in February 2002.

  1. A New Association is Born
  2. Answering the Call to Duty
  3. The Times They Are A-Changing
  4. A New Age of Technology
  5. An Association is Reborn