Career and TeChniCal eduCaTion

Five Ways ThaT Pay

along The Way To The B.a.

CERTIFICATES

EMPL

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INDUSTRY-BASEDCERTIFICATIONS

APPR

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ASSOCIATE’S DEGREES

CIVIC ENTERPRISES

Anthony P. CarnevaleTamara JayasunderaAndrew R. Hanson

September 2012

exeCuTive summary

2 | Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A.

There are 29 million “middle jobs” in the united states that pay $35,000 or more on average and don’t require a Bachelor’s degree.

Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A. | 3

There are five Career and Technical education (CTe) pathways that educate and train americans for these jobs.

employer-based training

associate’s degrees

industry-based certifications

Postsecondary certificates

apprenticeships

4 | Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A.

The united states invests roughly $1.4 trillion in human capital development each year. national spending on the five CTe pathways totals $524 billion annually.

National Spending on Five CTE Pathways Totals $524 billion(in billions of $)

National Spending on Human Capital Development Totals $1.4 trillion(in billions of $)

Two-year public colleges

Two-year private colleges

Apprenticeships

Industry-based certi�cations

Employer-based training (informal)

Employer-based training (formal)

$141

$25

$313

$38$6

$0.3

Five CTE Pathways

Four-year colleges

Primary and secondary education

Public job training

$536$524

$233

$16

Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A. | 5

The 29 million “middle jobs” represent one out of every five jobs in the american economy and nearly half of all american jobs that pay middle-class wages.

All Jobs

Middle-class Jobs

Other jobs

Middle jobs

79%

21%

Other middle- and upper-class jobs

Middle jobs

53%47%

6 | Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A.

more than 11 million middle jobs pay $50,000 or more annually, and 4 million pay $75,000 or more.

Earn $75,000 or more

Earn $50,000 to $74,999

Earn $35,000 to $49,999

Earn $25,000 to $34,999

Earn under $25,00025%

13%

23%

25%

14%

at least some postsecondary education or training is becoming the entry-level requirement for many jobs.

0

20

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Master's degree or better

Bachelor's degree

Some college

High school diploma

Less than high school

Associate's degree

7%

12%

18%

12%

24%

24%

11%9%

40%

12%

32%

Sh

are

of

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s (%

)

Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A. | 7

The united states is ranked second internationally in baccalaureate attainment, but ranks 16th in sub-baccalaureate (CTe) attainment.

Baccalaureate attainment

Sub-baccalaureate (CTE) attainment

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information systems that make the connections between CTe programs and job openings transparent are the crucial reform going forward.

HIGH-SCHOOLGRADUATES

STUDENTTRANSCRIPTS

WAGERECORDS

DATACOLLECTION

EXCHANGEDATABASE

LEARNING & EARNING EXCHANGE

8 | Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A.

HIGH-SCHOOLGRADUATES

STUDENTTRANSCRIPTS

WAGERECORDS

DATACOLLECTION

EXCHANGEDATABASE

LEARNING & EARNING EXCHANGE

Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A. | 9

The five CTe pathways make further education

more affordable.

Career and Technical Education: Five Ways That Pay Along the Way to the B.A. comprises a full report and an executive summary.

Both can be accessed online at cew.georgetown.edu/ctefiveways.

3300 Whitehaven Street NW, Suite 5000

Washington, DC 20007cew.georgetown.edu