What’s happening?
KISD offers over 130 CTE courses, including its new water operations certificate in partnership with Inframark, while LCISD offers over 40 areas of study and an incoming career center slated for fall 2026.
Some CTE courses offered include:
- Transportation
- Culinary
- Cosmetology
- Welding
- Law enforcement
- Pharmacy
- Agriculture
- Carpentry
Data from the October 2023 Kinder Institute for Urban Research’s Houston Education Research Consortium showed over two-thirds of Houston-area high school graduates qualified as “CTE graduates” from 2013-2019.
"[CTE] programs are invaluable because you’re giving students the opportunity to learn and figure out what they like, former KISD CTE student Jeff Dong said.
Why it matters
A 2023 high growth report from the Texas Workforce Commission predicts 762,000 jobs will open by 2030, which exceed the statewide annual median pay of $43,463. This includes 215 “high-wage occupations” within 13 different industries, including construction, manufacturing and health care.
Texas is expected to add 2.3 million new jobs by 2030, with only 39.3% expected to require some form of postsecondary education or training, the data shows. A significant portion of these jobs are expected to be in the professional, scientific and technical services industries, followed by health care and construction.
Additionally, a 2024 report on Texas Growth Occupation from the TWC shows Texas is expected to have one of the fastest-growing labor forces in the nation at 14.7% by 2032, exceeded only by Utah.
By the numbers
As LCISD nears its new CTE center’s opening, program enrollment numbers have spiked from 12,701 in 2024-25 to over 20,000 students enrolled for the upcoming 2025-26 school year. The four most popular programs include hospitality and tourism, agriculture, health science and STEM.
In KISD, CTE continues trending upward, topping 30,000 students in the 2023-24 school year. The three most popular programs include agricultural sciences, health science and engineering.
LCISD’s new 236,211-square-foot campus in Rosenberg will offer junior and senior courses in seven career clusters, including health science, transportation and engineering, Community Impact previously reported.
CTE clusters housed at LCISD’s new center will include:
- Health science
- Hospitality and tourism
- Logistics
- Engineering
- Arts
- Human services
- Architecture and construction
The programs are intended to attract students by aligning with current industry needs and preparing students for employment, officials said.
The center is expected to be operational by August 2026.
One more thing
John C. Kennedy, associate provost for Texas State Technical College, said he has noticed a recent shift in CTE offerings in local school districts. He attributes this growth to the skilled workforce “aging out” and the shift in mindset that skilled work can directly impact the economic growth of a community.
“CTE programs are more than classrooms and certifications—they are gateways to meaningful careers and economic mobility," he said.
The same sentiment was echoed statewide with Gov. Greg Abbott pushing for the expansion of statewide CTE programs during the 89th legislative session. Lawmakers passed House Bills 20 and 120, which aim to increase access and funding for career-related curriculum.
- House Bill 20 (filed by Rep. Gary Gates, R-Richmond): Creates the Applied Sciences Pathway program which allows students to concurrently earn certificates from higher education institutions
- House Bill 120 (filed by Keith Bell, R-Forney): Increases school district funding from $50 to $150 per students for the Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools for course credit, where students can earn up to 60 college credits while enrolled in LCISD
