Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Office of Career Readiness
The Office of Career Readiness provides leadership to advance innovative and performance-driven educational opportunities that promote equity and excellence for all students to become productive members in a global society. This is achieved by providing guidance to schools on implementing New Jersey Student Learning Standard 9.3-Career and Technical Education.
In addition, the office is responsible for the statewide implementation of secondary and postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) programs. This includes collaboration with the state workforce development system, institutions of higher education, business and industry and other state agencies to create rigorous programs of study aligned to workforce needs and career pathways. The office is responsible for approving all CTE secondary programs in the 16 Career Clusters® and administers funds provided under the Perkins V: Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. The office also approves private career schools in conjunction with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Mission
The Office of Career Readiness supports districts to ensure all New Jersey students have equitable access to high-quality career and technical education in order to achieve academic and career success aligned to economic opportunities.
Vision
All students are college and career ready and become productive members in a global society.
Career and Technical Education
Career and Technical Education (CTE) is an educational option that provides learners the opportunity to earn industry-valued credentials, college credit, and workplace experiences incorporating a rigorous academic core coupled with a high-level technical curriculum. CTE educates students for a range of career options through the 16 Career Clusters® and 79 career pathways. In New Jersey, there are approximately 77,000 secondary students participating in CTE career pathways aligned to New Jersey’s key industries, such as Construction & Energy, Finance, Health Care, Technology, Manufacturing, and Transportation, Distribution & Logistics.
If your school district is interested in developing CTE programs of study, please contact the Office of Career Readiness at cte@doe.nj.gov.