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Up at the Capitol this year, education was a focus for legislators. In addition to universal education freedom, expanding charter school authorizers, and protecting learning pods and homeschool co-ops, vocational education was one of the Governor’s top initiatives. With careers in the trades in high demand, the Governor’s budget included funding to give young Tennesseans the ability to attend a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) at no cost.

For over a decade, Tennessee has given scholarships with lottery funds to make community college free for students. With new scholarships, funds would be available to cover necessary tools and materials for in-demand trade careers. Though it can be debated if providing community college and technical school is the best use of tax dollars, Governor Lee has shown his commitment to getting young Tennesseans into valuable and good-paying careers. But starting in these careers doesn’t only begin after high school. School districts around the state offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) to high school students, giving them a jumpstart on their careers.

In Hamilton County, students can spend half a day at their zoned school and half at a CTE center, giving them opportunities for classes and programs generally not offered at their local school. Programs are not solely focused on careers in the trades, but also go into health programs like nursing. In Wilson County, students can enroll in aviation and flying courses, giving them experience with new career opportunities facing shortages and in high demand. For Knox County students, they can earn certifications to prepare them for entry-level construction jobs after graduation.

Career and Technical Education can set students up for an in-demand and well-paying career after their high school studies, improving the lives of students and their communities. These benefits are not lost on legislators, with one study showing the top policy trend around the nation in governors’ state of the state addresses was workforce development, with 33 governors mentioning CTE. With Tennessee’s commitment to providing these educational opportunities at the high school level and supporting further education at TCATs, students across the state have the opportunity to enter the workforce quicker than traditional four-year college programs.

With a previous report by Beacon showing associate degrees generally have a better return on investment—and in some cases out-earn bachelor’s degrees—CTE gives Tennessee students a step up in their career and at a much faster rate. With rising student debt, continued calls to cancel that debt, and the negative long-term financial choices students must make due to loans, CTE has the opportunity to side-step these challenges and provide students with high-paying careers with little to no debt, setting up Tennesseans to enter the workforce and improve their lives.