Nevada's Career and Technical Education system has experienced rapid growth alongside the state's expanding population and diversifying economy. While the hospitality and gaming industries remain central to Nevada's workforce landscape, the state has strategically expanded CTE programs in healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, and logistics to support economic diversification efforts.
CTE programs are offered through the state's 17 school districts, with the Clark County School District in Las Vegas serving the vast majority of CTE students. The state also provides postsecondary CTE through the Nevada System of Higher Education, including community colleges and state colleges.
Nevada has made significant investments in expanding CTE access and quality, including the development of career and technical academies that offer focused pathways within comprehensive high schools. The state's emphasis on industry-recognized credentials and work-based learning reflects its commitment to ensuring that CTE graduates are prepared for the workforce.
Standards & Alignment
Nevada's CTE programs follow state-adopted program standards organized within the 16 career clusters. The state has developed competency-based standards for each career pathway, aligned with both national industry expectations and Nevada's specific workforce needs.
The Department of Education requires regular review of CTE program standards with input from industry advisory councils, postsecondary partners, and CTE educators. Nevada also emphasizes the integration of employability skills and industry certifications into all CTE programs.
Key Challenges
Nevada faces significant challenges related to rapid population growth, which strains CTE infrastructure and creates demand for new programs and facilities. The Clark County School District alone serves the majority of the state's CTE students, creating unique scale challenges.
The state also struggles with CTE teacher recruitment and retention, as the competitive labor market in Las Vegas and Reno makes it difficult to attract experienced professionals into teaching. Rural areas of Nevada face additional challenges related to geographic isolation and limited resources for CTE program delivery.
Struggling with these challenges in Nevada?
Perkins V in Nevada
Nevada's Perkins V state plan focuses on expanding access to high-quality CTE programs, strengthening career pathways, and improving outcomes for underrepresented student populations. The plan sets ambitious targets for increasing credential attainment, improving placement rates, and closing equity gaps in CTE.
The state has allocated Perkins funding toward expanding work-based learning infrastructure, developing new programs in high-demand industries, and supporting professional development for CTE educators. Nevada has also invested in improving CTE data systems to better track student progress and program effectiveness.
Nevada CTE Resources
Essential links for CTE educators and administrators in Nevada.
State CTE Agency
Nevada Department of Education, Office of Career Readiness, Adult Learning, and Education Options
Official CTE division of the Nevada Department of Education
Course Standards & Frameworks
Nevada CTE Course Standards
State-approved standards, course sequences, and pathway frameworks
National Profile
Nevada on Advance CTE
Enrollment data, Perkins funding, and state comparisons
How Sage Helps Nevada CTE Programs
AI-Powered Curriculum
Generate standards-aligned lesson plans in minutes, not months
Nevada Standards Built In
Pre-loaded with Nevada's CTE standards and frameworks
Teacher Customization
Teachers personalize content while maintaining standards alignment
Ongoing Updates
Curriculum stays current as Nevada 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
Nevada offers CTE programs across 16 career clusters. These programs provide students with hands-on career preparation aligned with industry needs.
Nevada 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 Nevada. 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 Nevada educators build standards-aligned CTE curriculum in weeks instead of months. Our platform generates customized lesson plans, assessments, and resources tailored to Nevada standards, saving teachers countless hours while ensuring high-quality, industry-aligned content.
Explore Other States
Arizona
AZArizona's Career and Technical Education system is one of the most dynamic in the Southwest, serving a rapidly growing student population through a unique structure that includes Joint Technical Education Districts (JTEDs), comprehensive high schools, and community college partnerships. The state's CTE programs are organized around 16 career clusters, with particular strength in technology, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. Arizona's JTED model is distinctive nationally, providing dedicated CTE campuses that offer specialized programs to students from multiple feeder school districts. This model allows for concentrated investment in state-of-the-art facilities and industry-current equipment that individual districts might not be able to afford on their own. The state's CTE enrollment has grown steadily, driven by Arizona's expanding economy in semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace, renewable energy, and healthcare. Arizona has positioned its CTE system as a key pipeline for talent in these high-growth industries.
SouthwestCalifornia
CACalifornia operates the largest Career and Technical Education system in the nation, serving millions of students across more than 1,000 school districts, county offices of education, and the California Community Colleges system. The state's CTE programs are organized around 15 industry sectors defined by the California CTE Model Curriculum Standards, reflecting the state's diverse and innovation-driven economy. California has made substantial investments in CTE through multiple funding streams, including the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant (CTEIG) program, which has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to develop and expand high-quality CTE programs. The state also supports regional CTE consortia that coordinate programming across K-12 and community college partners. The state's CTE landscape is shaped by California's position as a global leader in technology, entertainment, agriculture, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. CTE programs across the state reflect this economic diversity, offering pathways ranging from software development and film production to sustainable agriculture and biotechnology.
WestOregon
OROregon's career and technical education system serves approximately 95,000 secondary students through a network of school districts, education service districts, and community college partnerships. The state emphasizes CTE as a critical component of its broader education equity goals, working to ensure that all students have access to rigorous career-connected learning opportunities regardless of their background or geography. Oregon organizes its CTE programs around six career learning areas that encompass the 16 national career clusters. The state's approach emphasizes programs of study that provide students with clear pathways from high school through postsecondary education and into the workforce, with strong articulation agreements between secondary and community college programs. The state has been a leader in integrating work-based learning into CTE programs, with initiatives such as the Oregon Youth Employment Program and partnerships with industry sectors including technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and natural resources. Oregon's CTE programs also benefit from strong connections to the state's robust community college system, which provides postsecondary pathways for CTE completers.
WestUtah
UTUtah's career and technical education system serves approximately 155,000 secondary students across the state's school districts and charter schools. The state's CTE programs are organized around eight career pathways that align with Utah's economic priorities, including technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and natural resources. Utah has distinguished itself through strong connections between CTE and the state's thriving technology sector, often referred to as the Silicon Slopes corridor. CTE programs in information technology, computer science, and engineering benefit from partnerships with leading technology companies headquartered in the state, providing students with access to internships, mentorships, and cutting-edge equipment. The state's CTE system also benefits from Utah's unique educational governance structure, which integrates secondary and postsecondary CTE under a coordinated framework. This coordination facilitates smooth transitions between high school CTE programs and postsecondary technical education, with strong articulation agreements and concurrent enrollment options available statewide.
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