CTE at B’ville: It’s not your grandpa’s vocational training

When people think of Career and Technical Education, they often think of the outdated vocational training of yesteryear. CTE in the Baldwinsville Central School District looks a lot different! 

From launching rockets and making sushi to conquering the stock market and building robots, our District is redefining what CTE means in 2021. 

It’s webpage design, food science, accounting, radio broadcasting, child psychology, aerospace engineering, automotive technology, sports marketing and so, so much more! 

“I think many people are hung up on CTE as the old vocational programs, which many people saw as a pathway to nowhere,” said Renee Burnett, Director of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction (7-12). “That’s not what modern day CTE courses are about. They’re about preparing our students for highly-skilled jobs that are available now in our economy.”

CTE prepares students for high-wage, high-demand careers. CTE covers many different fields, including information technology, advanced manufacturing, hospitality and management and many more. CTE Month is held each February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country.

This month, our District will highlight CTE courses and programs at Ray Middle School, Durgee Junior High School and C.W. Baker High School. All month, we'll spotlight different programs that are offered in Business, Technology, and Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS). During the month, we’ll also spotlight our dedicated CTE seniors and highlight the state-approved pathways that we offer. 

Baldwinsville is fortunate to offer a variety of CTE courses for students to explore. 

“Overall, CTE makes education relevant to students,” Burnett said. “It takes what they’re learning and allows them to apply it to real world situations. It allows them to problem-solve about things that are happening around them.”

Burnett said we often hear students say: “When am I ever going to use this?” 

“But that’s not what you hear in our CTE classes because our students are actually learning things that they will use in the real world,” Burnett said.

One of the major reasons Baldwinsville has such impactful CTE courses is because our District has an amazing staff of dedicated teachers. 

“Our staff is passionate,” Burnett said. “They love what they do and they encourage our students to find their passion.” 

Baldwinsville families are encouraged to follow along as we celebrate CTE month. 

What’s your passion? Find it with our CTE courses!