Indiana CTE enrollment rises as students gain job-ready skills

Indiana’s Career and Technical Education programs enrolled 259,789 high school students in 2025-26, up 2.65% from the prior year, as work-based learning and postsecondary credential attainment also climbed. The growth underscores a stronger pipeline for students heading into skilled careers, college, or both.

Why it matters: - Indiana’s CTE programs are reaching more high school students and producing more job-ready outcomes. - The trend matters for employers looking for skilled workers and for students seeking alternatives to a four-year college path. - A stronger CTE pipeline can also help students earn credentials, gain experience, and move faster into high-demand jobs.

What happened: - 259,789 Indiana high school students enrolled in Career and Technical Education courses during the 2025-26 school year. - Enrollment rose 2.65% from the previous year. - The Indiana Association of Career and Technical Education Districts cited data from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education Office of Career and Technical Education. - Indiana’s CTE system operates through 54 districts and folds hands-on training into students’ high school curriculum.

The details: - More CTE students completed 75 or more hours of work-based learning in their program of study. - That total rose from 8,133 in 2023-24 to 9,963 in 2024-25. - The share of high school CTE students earning a postsecondary credential increased from 14.13% in 2023-24 to 17.46% in 2024-25. - Steve Rogers, president of IACTED, said the state is seeing growth in participation, certifications, work-based learning and dual credit opportunities. - Rogers said those experiences are opening paths to careers, college and lifelong success. - Kyanne Bailey, a 17-year-old student in Kendallville, Indiana, is a welder, an A student and an entrepreneur with a 3.96 GPA. - Bailey builds and sells heavy-duty goat chutes across the Midwest. - Bailey credits specialized high school training for helping her start a welding business and move toward a professional welding career. - Bailey has earned industry-recognized certifications through CTE. - Bailey began welding at age 12 by making decorative items from horseshoes. - That early work led to KP Creations, her goat chute business. - Bailey has also started making free-standing livestock panels. - The IACTED said CTE is designed to support a skilled, high-demand workforce across industry sectors. - More information is available at IACTED’s website.

Between the lines: - Bailey’s story is being used to challenge a common trade-school stereotype: that CTE is only for students who are not college-bound or not academically strong. - Her experience suggests CTE can work for students who want both strong grades and immediate career preparation. - The rising credential and work-based learning numbers point to a shift from simple enrollment growth to deeper engagement and outcomes.

What’s next: - Indiana CTE districts are likely to keep expanding access as schools and employers look for more students to fill skilled roles. - Students who complete certifications and work-based learning may enter the job market with a stronger resume and more options after high school. - Bailey says she plans to keep learning and eventually work as a professional welder.

The bottom line: - Indiana CTE is growing, and the data suggest more students are leaving high school with practical skills, credentials and clearer career paths.