Group of students and adults around a podium holding a proclamation signed by the Governor of Kentucky.

Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) Commissioner Robbie Fletcher, left, joins students and staff from career and technical education (CTE) pathways and KDE staff as Gov. Andy Beshear, middle, presents a proclamation commemorating February as Career and Technical Education Month in the Commonwealth during a Team Kentucky Update on Feb. 12. Joining Fletcher, from left, were Mia Floro and Haylie Hopewell, Trailblazer Academy; Gov. Andy Beshear; Jayda Wilbers and Ellen Zambrano, Great Crossing High School (Scott County); KDE Division Director Beth Engle; Reagan Morgan and Addison Neal, Madison Central High School (Madison County); KDE Consultant Nathan Lyttle; KDE Program Manager Amy Tracy; KDE Associate Commissioner Beth Hargis; and Trailblazer Early College and Career Academy Principal Emily Whitworth. Photo by Myles Young, Kentucky Department of Education, Feb. 12, 2026

(FRANKFORT, KY) – Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed a proclamation commemorating February as Career and Technical Education Month in the Commonwealth during a Team Kentucky Update on Feb. 12.

“For so many of our students, career and technical education is where their future truly comes into focus,” Beshear said. “Practical, hands-on training by experts allows students to connect what they’ve learned in traditional classrooms to growing economic opportunity.”

Career and technical education (CTE) offers students the opportunity to pursue postsecondary opportunities, including dual-credit options and industry certifications, while they experience engaging, vibrant learning experiences in professional workplace settings alongside the traditional school curriculum.

CTE Month is a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the role that CTE has in readying learners for college and career success. Kentucky has more than 120 state-approved career pathways in 13 CTE program areas. During the 2024-2025 school year, more than 145,000 Kentucky high school students participated in a CTE pathway and earned more than 16,000 industry certifications, continuing a growing trend in the Commonwealth.

“Kentucky’s CTE offerings give students the chance to begin exploring life after high school and learn valuable skills in the process,” Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher said. “Students do better when they are engaged with the curriculum and Kentucky’s CTE offerings provide a variety of vibrant learning opportunities to help our children become successful adults.”

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) also collaborates with local school districts to develop region-specific, locally approved pathways. In addition, KDE operates 50 area technology centers that serve 115 local school districts.

Associate Commissioner Beth Hargis of KDE’s Office of Career and Technical Education said CTE prepares students for rewarding careers that they’re interested in.

“CTE prepares students for a successful life, not just the workforce,” Hargis said. “Kentucky has embraced the relevance of career and technical education in developing and strengthening our workforce and preparing students for the real world.”

Kentucky’s CTE students are preparing for careers in virtually every workforce sector and many of the  most in-demand, high-wage occupations across the state and nation. In these pathways, students are able to acquire necessary academic and technical skills related to their specific career pathway, while having the opportunity to also demonstrate essential employability skills through work-based learning opportunities, such as shadowing, internships, entrepreneurships and even registered youth apprenticeships.

CTE students from Trailblazer Early College and Career Academy in Anderson County also attended the ceremony. Mia Floro, a senior from Mercer County, has already earned multiple nursing accreditations and is working toward her phlebotomy license, while junior Haylie Hopewell from Anderson County is a welding student who recently won 1st place in the Future Women of Welding Competition in Louisville.

More information about Kentucky’s CTE programs can be found on the KDE Career and Technical Education webpage and the KDE Office of Career and Technical Education Facebook page.