HCPS career and technical education programs and the Virginia Department of Education actively partner with business and industry to design and provide high quality, dynamic programs to meet current, emerging and projected labor market needs. Our 17 career clusters help students investigate careers and design a rigorous and relevant plan of study to advance their career goals. Each career cluster contains multiple pathways that represent a common set of academic, technical and employability skills. Career pathways lead to credentials that qualify students for a range of career opportunities from entry to professional level.

Henrico CTE has its own Business Advisory Board so that we are able to get feedback from business and industry leaders on what our student’s training and education needs to so they will be at the cutting edge of today and tomorrow’s technology and business needs.  All of our programs offer one or more industry certifications state licenses or college credits to ensure they are ready for college and career. Every one of the career paths available through our programs are not just in demand but are in some level of crisis.

Many parents and students are not aware of how in demand some careers are. Are you aware that there are not enough computer technicians or programmers in the marketplace? Did you know that there is a decades-long deficit of young people entering traditional and new collar trades? Many careers are growing so fast that we are outstripping supply of students going into nursing, law enforcement and even engineering. CTE programs in high school and colleges — and even businesses — are doing what they can to inform students and parents of the opportunities, but it is up to students to take advantage of high paying, highly satisfying careers in important careers that make a difference.  What happens when we don’t have enough computer programmers, electricians or nurses? Businesses cannot innovate. People can’t get their homes built or repaired. People are living longer and health care professionals are stretched to provide adequate care. Careers in CTE programs can help address these challenges.