MSBSD CTE programs help prepare students with real-world experience 

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District has invested heavily in its Career and Technical Education programs. It’s a rapidly growing trend in secondary education, particularly in the Mat-Su. 

But for those who don’t know, what exactly is CTE? 

The strategy is simple. Provide opportunity in career-based education. It’s hands-on, detailed and tailored to prepare students for college and the workforce. 

But before we get into more about the programs, let’s answer a few questions. 

Are students limited to what’s offered by their primary school they are zoned for? 

No. 

“All courses can be taken by anyone in the district,” MSBSD Director of Career and Technical Education Tyler Gilligan said.  

Mat-Su Career and Technical High School is structured around CTE and the programs in its pathways. A common misunderstanding, Gilligan said, is students who are not selected in the lottery system to attend Mat-Su Career Tech do not have access to Career and Tech programs. 

That is also not true. 

Students who do not get into Mat-Su Career Tech as a full-time student in the school can enroll in courses at the school if space is available.  

Can students enroll in CTE classes in schools other than their primary school? 

Yes. 

District-wide CTE courses are offered and available for students throughout the Mat-Su.  

“Regardless of where they go to school, they're not limited to CTE options at that school. The CTE options across our district are open to all of our students,” Gilligan said. 

Gilligan used Wasilla High School’s fire science program as an example. It’s a two-year course that gives local students a head start in a career as a structural firefighter, and it’s unique to WHS. 

“You don’t have to go to Wasilla High to take that class,” Gilligan said. 

Students can simply request to enroll if space is available.  

Is CTE limited to specific trades? 

No.  

“The reality is career and technical education encompasses everything because if you're going to have a career, then it falls under that umbrella, right?” Gilligan said. “If you want to become a doctor, we have pre-nursing programs . So we can't get you to a point where you need a doctorate, but what we can do is get you the groundwork to enter into a pre-med field.” 

Gilligan said a common misconception is CTE courses prepare students for the trades, and not college. The courses do both, and in many cases the paths intersect. 

Construction is a good example. CTE construction classes provide the groundwork for the skill set, but there is also the added potential for post-secondary education in careers such as construction management. 

Real world application 

As the district built and continues to grow its CTE programs, officials looked at the big picture. 

“We try to be responsive to the local, state and national workforce development,” Gilligan said. “We look at local first. Does our industry have a demand in these fields locally? And then at the state level and then nationally.” 

District officials look at employment trends and demand. 

There are currently more than 200 CTE courses offered across the district divided among eight different pathways: building, business and information technology, fitness and sports medicine, health, human services, natural resources, tourism and culinary, and transportation. Each pathway includes a variety of programs. For example, bookkeeping, accounting, website design, computer networking and computer science fall underneath the business and information technology umbrella. 

“We hit across eight different pathways, which touch workforce sectors across our state and then we try to tie our students to getting a job later on or being successful in some way. Whether that's going to be their career or that's going to be their part-time gig while they're going to college or whatever. Those are kind of our big goals,” Gilligan said. 

Developing basic skills 

CTE also helps students develop basic skills to apply to everyday life. This can be as simple as vehicle or home repair. Everyone will eventually have a car or a home, Gilligan said, and utilizing the knowledge and skills gained through CTE classes will benefit students in the long term.  

Future success 

CTE concentrators graduate high school at a higher rate compared to their non-CTE concentrator peers. It’s about 97 percent, Gilligan said. The average sits in the 80 percent range. Students in CTE programs have the opportunity to earn industry certifications and college credit. There is also the financial savings for a student and their family as students earn those credits and certifications while in high school.  

For more 

For more information, see cte.matsuk12.us.  

Jeremiah Bartz is the Community Relations Coordinator for the Mat-Su Borough School District.