Career and Technical Education

After the publication of YPL’s statewide analyses of racial and socioeconomic inequities in access to Career and Technical Education (CTE), Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) partnered with YPL to better understand CTE access in Washtenaw County. The research revealed that stark differences in CTE availability across districts led to many Washtenaw students having limited access to CTE, with especially unequal access to programs aligned with high-wage, high-demand occupations. Low-income, Black, and Hispanic students in Washtenaw County are less likely to attend schools that offer o...

The Youth Policy Lab partnered with the Mayor’s Office, Connect Detroit, Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC), and other key stakeholders to evaluate the impact of the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent summer youth employment program on a variety of academic and non-academic outcomes.

Once seen as an alternative to college, modern Career and Technical Education (CTE) is designed to be a pathway into postsecondary education and prosperous careers for all students. However, there is a lack of rigorous empirical research on the efficacy of high school CTE for preparing students for postsecondary education and the workforce.  Moreover, we do not know what factors may mediate these outcomes or whether CTE may benefit some students more than others. Through this project, the research team analyzed Michigan data to examine (a) the characteristics of CTE participants and completers...

The Youth Policy Lab has partnered with Detroit Future City (DFC) to conduct a research study examining Detroit’s career-connected K-12 education landscape and its alignment with current and future workforce needs. YPL is helping to shape the overall approach and direction of the study and leading the quantitative data analysis. This includes assessing the alignment between Career and Technical Education (CTE) availability and enrollment in Detroit and the current and future labor market demands in Southeast Michigan. DFC is holding several focus groups with K-12 education, business, and nonpr...