Empowering Student Success: Maury County Public Schools' CTE Program

Maury County Public Schools (MCPS) have made it their mission to ensure that every student is empowered to forge a successful future. That is why the school district has invested its time and resources into establishing a dynamic College, Career & Technical Education (CTE) program.

Maury County Publics Schools CTE Team

“We recognize that not every student’s path is college — and that is not a bad thing,” said Amy Roberts, director, Maury County Public Schools CTE. “For those students, at the end of 10th grade, their high school path can start to look a little bit different via the CTE program. They can start doing work-based learning and dual enrollment to earn their technical certificate or their two-year degree before they graduate high school.”

According to Roberts, approximately 80% of the district’s high school population — more than 3,000 students — are projected to participate in the CTE program, making it one of the largest in the state. The program comprises 16 different career clusters, including health science, agriculture, digital art and design, advanced manufacturing, and cosmetology. Under those clusters, there are more than 50 different areas of study. For example, students in health science can study everything from sports medicine to nursing, while students interested in agriculture have options such as horticulture, agriculture engineering and animal science.

The goal of the CTE program is to equip students for the reality of today’s labor market.

“Our labor market data shows that 80% of the jobs don't even require four-year degrees,” said Terri Thornton, workforce development and career coach, MCPS CTE. “And in our area, 80% of the jobs either require straight out of high school or maybe a technical certificate, which our students get with our technical colleges in Tennessee, or a two-year degree. Only about 20% of jobs require a four-year degree.”

According to Thornton, the team also works to ensure students are educated about the jobs available, what they pay, where the demand is, and the education needed to join that workforce.

“We're going to start providing our students with career maps that tell them, ‘If I want to be a plumber in Maury County, Tenn., here's what I can expect to make. Here's how much education I need.’ If you want to become a master in your trade, here's where you can go to get advanced training and then how much that will affect my income. Most of these kids don't know that.”

At the same time, the CTE program helps to prepare students for the soft skills they will need when entering the workforce, regardless of their career path

“CTE coursework provides students with essential soft skills that are highly valued by employers, including interview skills, teamwork and problem-solving,” said Roberts. “Even for those who pursue higher education, the combination of academic skills and CTE coursework provides a competitive advantage in the job market.”

The benefits of Maury County's CTE program extend beyond individual students.

The CTE team also spends time forging connections with local business and industry leaders so when students are ready to enter the workforce the relationship and trust are already established. This helps to keep hardworking and skilled students in Maury County, meaning our community as a whole reaps the rewards of a well-prepared and skilled workforce.

“MCPS’ robust CTE program serves as a catalyst for student success,” said Roberts. “We are empowering students to thrive in their chosen careers.”