Career and Technical Education Month
Opening Doors Through Skills, Coaching, and Community
February is Career and Technical Education Month, a time to spotlight how hands on learning, industry credentials, and real world experience help young people build pathways into the workforce. Career and Technical Education, often called CTE, blends workshop-based learning with practical skills so individuals can explore careers, earn credentials, and gain experience that leads to stable employment and personal growth.
At Reconcile, connecting young people to pathways is shaped by career coaching, exploration, and strong partnerships across New Orleans. Young people arrive with talent and curiosity, but often have limited access to clear information about the many training and career options available to them. Through individualized career coaching, Interns identify their strengths, explore industries that match their interests, and connect to opportunities, including CTE training sites, aligned with their goals.
Work based learning is central to this approach. By partnering with employers, training providers, and education institutions throughout the city, Reconcile helps young people access opportunity while building confidence and professional skills. These partnerships ensure connection to a variety of industries, and credentials are available.
These themes were highlighted in Episode 2 of the Does Your City Love You Back podcast series produced in partnership with WDSU. The conversation featured Reconcile’s Program Manager for Employment and Alumni Services alongside the Chief Strategy Officer of New Orleans Career Center, exploring how coaching, credentials, and coordinated systems can better support young people navigating education and employment pathways.
As we kick off Career and Technical Education Month, we celebrate how CTE helps young people discover their skills, build momentum, and connect to opportunities that support lasting change across our city.
Listen to Episode 2 of Does Your City Love You Back to learn more about how career coaching and CTE pathways are expanding opportunities for young people in New Orleans.