Special School District is the proud provider of career and technical education (CTE) in St. Louis County through the relevant, high-quality programs offered at North Tech and South Tech. During February, we join nationwide organizations in celebrating National Career and Technical Education Month®, a campaign aimed at increasing public awareness among educators, parents, students, policymakers, and employers about the value and promise of CTE.

CTE programs spanning all career pathways, including medical, information technology, advanced manufacturing, transportation, public safety, and human services, are provided tuition-free at North Tech and South Tech to high school students in St. Louis County. Our programs include multiple certification and college credit opportunities while providing students with real-world experiences, real-world skills, and the exploration they need to determine their path after high school.

Our generous business and industry partners offer field experiences, internships, mentoring, and employment to students, allowing them to explore college majors and careers before they graduate. Advance CTE reports that students in CTE programs and their parents are three times as likely to report they are “very satisfied” with their student’s opportunity to learn real-world skills compared to parents and students not enrolled in CTE courses.

North Tech and South Tech continue to benefit from significant engagement and investment from regional employers who are building their talent pipelines among our students. This fall, SSD was proud to announce our most recent partnership with WorldWide Technology, which chose to establish its first high school-level apprenticeship program with our information technology programs. Our team of CTE supporters includes hundreds of companies, and many will join us at our St. Louis County Apprenticeship and Career Pathways Showcase events beginning Feb. 26, 2023.

SSD will feature program videos and CTE facts that emphasize the value of career and technical education throughout the month on our Facebook and Instagram pages (@northtechstl and @southtechstl). Help us spread the word about the importance of CTE by liking and sharing our posts.