Indiana has established one of the Midwest's most structured and industry-aligned CTE systems, offering programs through comprehensive high schools, career and technical education centers, and a strong network of Ivy Tech Community College campuses. The state organizes its CTE programs around career clusters and defined pathways that map directly to Indiana's high-demand industries, including advanced manufacturing, life sciences, logistics, and healthcare.
Indiana's CTE model is distinguished by its emphasis on employer-driven program design. The state's Next Level Programs of Study initiative provides detailed frameworks that connect secondary coursework to postsecondary credentials and career entry points, with program standards validated by Indiana-based employers. This approach ensures that CTE graduates are equipped with the specific skills that Hoosier employers need.
The state has also invested in expanding its career scholarship and certification programs, providing financial incentives for students who complete approved CTE pathways and earn industry-recognized credentials. Indiana's Graduation Pathways model integrates CTE completion as one of the primary routes to earning a high school diploma.
Standards & Alignment
Indiana has developed comprehensive CTE course standards through its Next Level Programs of Study framework, which outlines detailed competencies for each approved pathway. All CTE programs must align with these state-approved standards and demonstrate connections to Indiana Academic Standards.
The state maintains a rigorous program approval process and encourages alignment with industry-recognized certifications from Indiana's approved certification list. Indiana also emphasizes the use of advisory committees to validate program relevance and ensure that CTE standards reflect current industry practices.
Key Challenges
Indiana faces challenges in meeting the demand for qualified CTE instructors, particularly in advanced manufacturing and technology fields where the state's robust economy creates strong competition from the private sector. Rural districts in southern and western Indiana often struggle to offer the same breadth of CTE pathways available in the Indianapolis and northern Indiana corridors.
The state is also working to ensure that its CTE programs keep pace with rapid technological changes in key industries and that all student populations, including those from underserved communities, have equitable access to high-quality CTE pathways.
Struggling with these challenges in Indiana?
Perkins V in Indiana
Indiana's Perkins V state plan prioritizes strengthening the Next Level Programs of Study framework, expanding work-based learning, and improving outcomes for special populations. The state has used the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment to drive local planning and target Perkins funding toward program improvement.
Key initiatives include expanding dual credit opportunities through partnerships with Ivy Tech Community College, increasing industry certification attainment through the state's certification incentive program, and growing apprenticeship and internship opportunities. Indiana has also focused on improving data systems to track CTE student outcomes from high school through career entry.
Indiana CTE Resources
Essential links for CTE educators and administrators in Indiana.
State CTE Agency
Indiana Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education
Official CTE division of the Indiana Department of Education
Course Standards & Frameworks
Indiana CTE Course Standards
State-approved standards, course sequences, and pathway frameworks
National Profile
Indiana on Advance CTE
Enrollment data, Perkins funding, and state comparisons
How Sage Helps Indiana CTE Programs
AI-Powered Curriculum
Generate standards-aligned lesson plans in minutes, not months
Indiana Standards Built In
Pre-loaded with Indiana's CTE standards and frameworks
Teacher Customization
Teachers personalize content while maintaining standards alignment
Ongoing Updates
Curriculum stays current as Indiana standards and industry needs evolve
"Together with Sage, we're rewriting the future — accelerating timelines, giving teachers precious time to focus on students, and helping schools retain and support the passionate educators who make it all possible."
Lynne Wilson
CTE Director, CTAERN
Frequently Asked Questions
Indiana offers CTE programs across 16 career clusters. These programs provide students with hands-on career preparation aligned with industry needs.
Indiana aligns CTE curriculum with industry standards through a comprehensive process that includes working with industry advisory boards, mapping to state and national standards, and regularly updating programs to reflect current workplace requirements. This ensures students graduate with relevant, job-ready skills.
Perkins V is federal funding that supports Career Technical Education programs in Indiana. This funding helps schools purchase equipment, develop curriculum, provide professional development for teachers, and ensure CTE programs meet quality standards that prepare students for high-skill, high-wage careers.
Sage uses AI to help Indiana educators build standards-aligned CTE curriculum in weeks instead of months. Our platform generates customized lesson plans, assessments, and resources tailored to Indiana standards, saving teachers countless hours while ensuring high-quality, industry-aligned content.
Explore Other States
Illinois
ILIllinois operates a large and diverse CTE system that serves students through comprehensive high schools, area career centers, community colleges, and regional delivery systems. The state organizes its CTE programs around career clusters and pathways aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards and the national Career Clusters Framework, with particular strength in manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and agriculture. The Illinois CTE system reflects the state's economic diversity, from the advanced financial services and technology sectors of the Chicago metropolitan area to the agricultural and manufacturing base of central and southern Illinois. The state supports CTE through multiple funding streams, including dedicated state CTE funding and federal Perkins dollars administered by the Illinois State Board of Education. Illinois has been a leader in the Midwest in developing career pathway systems that connect secondary CTE with community college programs and four-year institutions, creating clear routes from high school through credentials and degrees into careers. The state's Education Career Pathway models provide frameworks for building these connections across regions.
MidwestKentucky
KYKentucky's Career and Technical Education system serves students through a comprehensive network that includes area technology centers, comprehensive high schools, and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). The state organizes its CTE programs around 14 career clusters and more than 70 career pathways, reflecting Kentucky's diverse economic landscape that spans advanced manufacturing, healthcare, energy, agriculture, and logistics. Kentucky's area technology centers are a distinguishing feature of the state's CTE delivery model, providing specialized facilities and instruction to students from multiple sending school districts. These centers, operated by the Kentucky Department of Education, offer programs in high-demand fields that require expensive equipment and specialized instructors that individual districts might not be able to support. The state has made significant investments in CTE through its career readiness initiatives, which have elevated CTE as a core component of Kentucky's education strategy. The state's accountability system recognizes CTE pathway completion and industry certification attainment as key measures of school and district performance.
SoutheastMichigan
MIMichigan's Career and Technical Education system is deeply intertwined with the state's industrial heritage and evolving economic landscape. As a state historically defined by advanced manufacturing and the automotive industry, Michigan has developed CTE programs that reflect both its traditional strengths and emerging sectors like mobility technology, cybersecurity, and clean energy. The state delivers CTE through a combination of local school districts, career technical education centers, and intermediate school districts that serve regional communities. Michigan's CTE system serves students at both the secondary and postsecondary levels, with strong articulation pathways connecting high school programs to community colleges and universities. Michigan has been proactive in modernizing its CTE offerings, launching initiatives like the Michigan Career Pathways Alliance to strengthen connections between education and industry. The state's Going PRO campaign has helped elevate the perception of skilled trades and technical careers, addressing workforce shortages in critical sectors.
MidwestOhio
OHOhio operates one of the largest and most established career-technical education systems in the United States, serving approximately a quarter million students annually through a network of career-technical planning districts, compact schools, and comprehensive high school programs. The state's CTE infrastructure is organized around 16 career clusters and offers more than 100 distinct career-technical programs spanning industries from advanced manufacturing to healthcare. Ohio's career-technical system is distinctive for its emphasis on career-technical planning districts (CTPDs), which coordinate CTE delivery across multiple school districts. These planning districts ensure that students across urban, suburban, and rural communities have equitable access to high-quality career-technical programs. Many of Ohio's career-technical centers are nationally recognized for their facilities and program outcomes. The state has invested heavily in aligning CTE with workforce development priorities, particularly in advanced manufacturing, information technology, and healthcare. Ohio's TechCred and Individual Microcredential Assistance Program (IMAP) initiatives complement CTE by funding industry-recognized credentials for workers, creating a pipeline that begins with secondary CTE and extends into postsecondary education and the workforce.
MidwestReady to Transform CTE in Indiana?
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