Vermont'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.
Standards & Alignment
Vermont's CTE programs follow competency-based standards that define the knowledge, skills, and dispositions students should develop in each career area. These standards are developed with industry input and align with national standards and certifications. Vermont has been a pioneer in proficiency-based learning, and CTE programs reflect this emphasis on demonstrated competency.
The state integrates CTE with Vermont's Education Quality Standards, which emphasize transferable skills, personalized learning, and flexible pathways. CTE programs are expected to provide meaningful connections between technical content and academic standards, preparing students for both immediate employment and further education.
Key Challenges
Vermont's small and geographically dispersed population presents challenges for CTE delivery, as many regional centers serve students from large catchment areas. Transportation to CTE centers can consume significant portions of the school day, limiting the time available for technical instruction and work-based learning.
Funding is a persistent concern for Vermont's CTE system, as rising costs and limited enrollment make it challenging to maintain the breadth of program offerings at each regional center. The state is exploring collaborative models and shared services approaches to maintain program quality while managing costs. CTE teacher recruitment is also difficult in a state where the cost of living is relatively high and the pool of qualified industry professionals is limited.
Struggling with these challenges in Vermont?
Perkins V in Vermont
Vermont's Perkins V state plan focuses on strengthening program quality, expanding access for underserved populations, and deepening the integration of work-based learning into CTE programs. The plan emphasizes the importance of comprehensive local needs assessments in identifying program strengths and areas for improvement.
Key priorities include improving student completion and credential attainment rates, strengthening partnerships with employers and postsecondary institutions, and enhancing data systems to better track student outcomes. Vermont's plan also addresses the need for sustained investment in CTE facilities and equipment to maintain program relevance.
Vermont CTE Resources
Essential links for CTE educators and administrators in Vermont.
State CTE Agency
Vermont Agency of Education, Career Technical Education
Official CTE division of the Vermont Department of Education
Course Standards & Frameworks
Vermont CTE Course Standards
State-approved standards, course sequences, and pathway frameworks
National Profile
Vermont on Advance CTE
Enrollment data, Perkins funding, and state comparisons
How Sage Helps Vermont CTE Programs
AI-Powered Curriculum
Generate standards-aligned lesson plans in minutes, not months
Vermont Standards Built In
Pre-loaded with Vermont's CTE standards and frameworks
Teacher Customization
Teachers personalize content while maintaining standards alignment
Ongoing Updates
Curriculum stays current as Vermont 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
Vermont offers CTE programs across 16 career clusters. These programs provide students with hands-on career preparation aligned with industry needs.
Vermont 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 Vermont. 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 Vermont educators build standards-aligned CTE curriculum in weeks instead of months. Our platform generates customized lesson plans, assessments, and resources tailored to Vermont standards, saving teachers countless hours while ensuring high-quality, industry-aligned content.
Explore Other States
Maine
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.
NortheastNew Hampshire
NHNew 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.
NortheastNew York
NYNew York operates one of the largest and most diverse Career and Technical Education systems in the nation, serving students through BOCES (Boards of Cooperative Educational Services), local school districts, and the City University and State University systems. The state's CTE programs span the full range of career clusters and serve students in settings ranging from New York City's specialized career academies to rural BOCES centers in the Adirondacks. The state's CTE system benefits from New York's extraordinary economic diversity, which encompasses finance, healthcare, technology, media, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and countless other sectors. This economic breadth creates abundant opportunities for CTE programs to connect students with meaningful career pathways in virtually every field. New York has made significant investments in modernizing its CTE system, including the development of approved CTE programs that meet rigorous quality standards and provide students with both technical skills and academic credentials. The state's CTE approval process is among the most comprehensive in the nation, ensuring program quality and industry relevance.
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