New Hampshire delivers Career and Technical Education through a network of regional CTE centers that serve students from sending high schools across the state. This regional model allows New Hampshire to provide specialized programs that individual schools could not sustain independently, ensuring broad access to career preparation across the state's relatively small geographic area.
The state's CTE system reflects New Hampshire's diverse economy, which includes advanced manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, tourism, and construction. CTE programs are designed to connect students with opportunities in these sectors through structured pathways that combine classroom instruction with hands-on learning and work-based experiences.
New Hampshire has been proactive in integrating competency-based education principles into its CTE programs, aligning with the state's broader education reform efforts. This approach allows students to progress based on demonstrated mastery of skills and knowledge, creating flexible learning pathways that accommodate diverse student needs.
Standards & Alignment
New Hampshire's CTE programs follow state-developed competency frameworks that align with national career cluster standards and the state's academic competencies. Each CTE program has a defined set of competencies that students must demonstrate, consistent with New Hampshire's competency-based education model.
The state reviews CTE program standards regularly with input from industry advisory committees, postsecondary partners, and CTE educators. New Hampshire also requires alignment between CTE programs and relevant industry certifications, ensuring that students can earn recognized credentials alongside their coursework.
Key Challenges
New Hampshire faces challenges in CTE teacher recruitment due to competition from the private sector, which typically offers higher compensation. The state's relatively high cost of living, particularly in southern communities near Boston, exacerbates this challenge.
Transportation to regional CTE centers can be a barrier for students, especially in the northern part of the state where distances are greater and weather conditions can be challenging. The state also works to ensure that CTE programs keep pace with evolving technology and industry practices, which requires ongoing investment in equipment and professional development.
Struggling with these challenges in New Hampshire?
Perkins V in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's Perkins V state plan emphasizes expanding access to CTE for all students, strengthening career pathways, and aligning CTE programs with regional labor market needs. The plan sets goals for increasing CTE completion and credential attainment rates while reducing disparities among student subgroups.
The state directs Perkins funding toward supporting regional CTE centers, expanding work-based learning opportunities, and providing professional development for CTE instructors. New Hampshire has also invested in data systems to improve tracking of CTE student outcomes and program effectiveness.
New Hampshire CTE Resources
Essential links for CTE educators and administrators in New Hampshire.
State CTE Agency
New Hampshire Department of Education, Bureau of Career Development
Official CTE division of the New Hampshire Department of Education
Course Standards & Frameworks
New Hampshire CTE Course Standards
State-approved standards, course sequences, and pathway frameworks
National Profile
New Hampshire on Advance CTE
Enrollment data, Perkins funding, and state comparisons
How Sage Helps New Hampshire CTE Programs
AI-Powered Curriculum
Generate standards-aligned lesson plans in minutes, not months
New Hampshire Standards Built In
Pre-loaded with New Hampshire's CTE standards and frameworks
Teacher Customization
Teachers personalize content while maintaining standards alignment
Ongoing Updates
Curriculum stays current as New Hampshire 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
New Hampshire offers CTE programs across 16 career clusters. These programs provide students with hands-on career preparation aligned with industry needs.
New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire. 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 New Hampshire educators build standards-aligned CTE curriculum in weeks instead of months. Our platform generates customized lesson plans, assessments, and resources tailored to New Hampshire standards, saving teachers countless hours while ensuring high-quality, industry-aligned content.
Explore Other States
Connecticut
CTConnecticut's Career and Technical Education system serves students through a network that includes the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS), which operates 17 technical high schools across the state, as well as CTE programs in comprehensive high schools and regional educational service centers. This dual structure provides students with both immersive technical education environments and integrated CTE pathways within traditional school settings. The CTECS technical high schools are a hallmark of Connecticut's approach, offering full-time programs where students alternate between academic and technical instruction in a model that has produced strong outcomes in both career readiness and college preparation. These schools are among the most sought-after in the state, with competitive admissions processes reflecting high demand. Connecticut's CTE programs reflect the state's economic strengths in advanced manufacturing, insurance and financial services, healthcare, and technology. The state has made significant investments in modernizing CTE facilities and curricula to keep pace with industry evolution, particularly in precision manufacturing and emerging technology fields.
NortheastMaine
MEMaine delivers Career and Technical Education through a network of Career and Technical Education Regions (CTERs) and centers that serve students from multiple sending high schools. This regional model allows Maine to offer specialized programs that individual schools could not sustain on their own, providing students across the state with access to high-quality career preparation. The state's CTE system emphasizes hands-on learning and industry partnerships, with programs designed to address Maine's unique economic needs. From boatbuilding and marine sciences along the coast to forestry and natural resources in the northern counties, Maine's CTE offerings reflect the state's distinctive industries and traditions. Maine has been a leader in integrating academic and technical education, requiring CTE programs to incorporate rigorous academic content alongside technical skill development. The state's proficiency-based education system aligns well with CTE's competency-driven approach, creating natural connections between career preparation and academic achievement.
NortheastMassachusetts
MAMassachusetts has a long and distinguished tradition of vocational technical education, operating one of the oldest and most well-established CTE systems in the nation. The state's regional vocational technical schools serve as full-time educational institutions where students spend their high school years alternating between academic coursework and technical training in a week-on, week-off model. The Commonwealth's CTE system is characterized by high standards and strong outcomes. Massachusetts vocational technical graduates consistently demonstrate strong academic achievement alongside technical proficiency, with many schools maintaining waiting lists for admission. The state's robust economy in sectors like biotechnology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and information technology creates strong demand for CTE graduates. Massachusetts has invested significantly in modernizing its vocational technical schools, with major capital projects to update facilities and equipment. The state's emphasis on integrating academic rigor with hands-on technical training has produced a model that other states frequently study and emulate.
NortheastVermont
VTVermont's career and technical education system serves approximately 10,000 secondary students through a network of 17 regional career technical education centers across the state. Despite its small size, Vermont's CTE system is well-regarded for its emphasis on quality instruction, industry partnerships, and personalized learning experiences. Vermont's CTE centers serve students from multiple sending school districts, providing access to specialized programs that individual schools could not offer independently. The state's CTE programs span a wide range of career areas, with particular strength in natural resources, healthcare, construction, manufacturing, and culinary arts, reflecting Vermont's unique economy and character. The state has embraced flexible pathways and personalized learning plans as core elements of its CTE approach, allowing students to combine CTE coursework with work-based learning, dual enrollment, and independent study to create individualized career development plans. Vermont's CTE system also benefits from strong connections with the state's community college system and regional employers.
NortheastReady to Transform CTE in New Hampshire?
See how Sage can help you build standards-aligned CTE programs at scale.