Career & Technical Education Teacher Prep

What is Career and Technical Education? 

What is Career and Technical Education? Career and Technical Education is a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options, supports basic academic and life skills, and enables achievement of high academic standards, leadership, preparation for industry- defined work, and advanced and continuing education offered in middle school and high school. You can turn your professional work experience into a new career teaching in grades 7 through 12. 

What is Career and Technical Education certification? 

In Washington State, those who want to teach Career and Technical Education classes in middle school or high school are required to hold a CTE Teacher Certificate or endorsement. 

This program may be for you if are are:

1. An Individual with Industry Experience: Are you a professional with significant experience working in specific industries but no formal teaching credentials? You may be interested in transitioning into a teaching career by gaining the necessary educational qualifications while leveraging your real-world expertise in technical fields like healthcare, engineering, or information technology.

2. An Educator Seeking Certification in CTE: Are you a current educator who already holds teaching certificates but is looking to specialize in teaching CTE courses? You might have a background in general education or a specific subject area and may be interested in shifting your focus to technical education. You will gain the necessary credentials to teach CTE courses and integrate technical content into your teaching.

Why select Olympic College for your CTE certification? 

Courses are scheduled with the working professional in mind, which gives individuals options for program completion. Courses are a blended combination of face-to-face and online formats. 

Additionally, Olympic College is one of only four colleges in Washington state approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB). PESB is an official state agency in Washington responsible for overseeing the preparation, certification, and continuing education of educators.

Click the below to learn more about the program and related certifications:

Program Guide

inItial Career and technical Education (CTE) Certificate

Other CTE Certificate Types

Complete the application.

CTE Teacher Prep APPLICATION

Application, Introduction & Planning

Download and complete the application.

CTE Teacher Prep APPLICATION

Coursework

Before scheduling your required coursework, it is recommended that CTE Teacher Candidates enroll in the following:
CNCTE 04 Introduction – CTE Teacher Preparation Education ($69)

This first course gives participants a detailed look at the process of transitioning from business/industry/military to the CTE classroom in a school setting. CTE endorsement information will also be reviewed, along with assistance for meeting the document, assessment and verification requirements. This is the first step in being accepted to the program. 

Most CTE classes meet on evenings and weekends and are offered twice yearly with a quick start option in June. 

View the calendar below for course details.

Waivers

Some courses may be waived. Waivers are initiated by the teacher, approved by the CTE director, and forwarded to the CTE Advisory Committee for final approval. For more information, see the waiver procedure document below:

CTE Course Waiver Procedure

Culminating Project

When all required courses have been completed, teacher candidates register for Culminating Project, with assistance from the CTE Program Manager. The teacher candidate shares their journey for obtaining their CTE teacher certificate.

Certification

After completion of all required coursework, documentation, assessments and field experience hours, OC will provide a form indicating the CTE Teacher Preparation Program completion. It is up to the teacher candidates to submit this completed form to the OSPI office along with any required fees.

Application, Introduction & Planning

Download the printable version:
CTE Teacher Prep APPLICATION

Please Note: Current Certified Teachers are encouraged to enroll in Quick Jump! which is usually offered the last week of June, with limited face-to-face time, online content, and completion of 5 of 6 required classes. Contact the CTE Program Manager for details.

Teacher candidates are required to complete CTE Professional Growth Plan - Form A, before being formally admitted into the program. This form and list of required documents are set by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB), our governing agency. 

Waivers

The following courses are suggested as waivable for Current Certified Teachers:

• Instructional Strategies
• Course Organization
• Diversity-CTE Classroom (within the last two years)
• Technology-CTE Classroom
• School Law (within the last five years)
• Child Abuse (within the last five years)
• Field Experience (required documents include a CTE Practicum Evaluation and a current copy of annual satisfactory teacher evaluation [TPEP].

Waivers are initiated by the teacher, approved by the CTE director, and forwarded to the CTE Advisory Committee for final approval. For more information, see the waiver procedure document below:

CTE Course Waiver Procedure

Culminating Project

When all required courses have been completed, teacher candidates register for Culminating Project, with assistance from the CTE Program Manager. The teacher candidate shares their journey for obtaining their CTE teacher certificate.

Certification

After completion of all required coursework, documentation, assessments and field experience hours, OC will provide a form indicating the CTE Teacher Preparation Program completion. It is up to the teacher candidates to submit this completed form to the OSPI office along with any required fees.

CTE Teacher Candidate education and industry experience hours are reviewed to confirm the Vocational Code (V-Code) or sub-category to determine the courses that a teacher is certified to teach. Each specialty or sub-category is listed with the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code. 

More information on the CIP Codes can be found on the OSPI website:
CIP Codes | OSPI

All classes are offered two or more times per year and most are online. We offer a Quick Jump option, enabling teacher candidates to complete four of the required courses in a shortened timeframe. 
 

*Current teachers who wish to waive a class must receive a recommendation from their current CTE Director, present documentation of PESB-approved course completion, or have documented experience. Waiver requests/recommendations must be approved by Olympic College.

To register:

Complete the Application Packet and reach out to the Program Manager.

CTE Teacher Prep APPLICATION

CTE PROGRAM CONTACT

Spring Quarter

• April 8 - May 12: CNCTE 10 School Law –  online through Canvas, $399. 30 clock hours.
• April 14 & 15: CNCTE 04 Introduction to CTE – online via Zoom 5:00pm – 8:00pm. 6 clock hours. \
• April 15: CNCTE 12 Role & Responsibilities/Child Abuse Issues – online through Canvas, $149. 10 clock hours. 
• April 16 - May 19: CNCTE 06 Course Organization & Curriculum Development – online via Zoom 5:00pm – 8:00pm, $399. 30 clock hours.
• May 5: CNCTE 17 Diversity in the Classroom – online via Zoom 5:00pm – 8:00pm, $399. 30 clock hours. 
• May 6 & May 17: CNCTE 13 Using Technology – Face-Face 4:00pm – 7:00pm @OCB (May 6) & Face – Face 9:00am – 3:00pm @ South Kitsap High School (May 17), $149. 10 clock hours.

Summer Quarter

Quick Jump

• June 27: CNCTE 04 Introduction to CTE – online via Zoom 9:00am – 12:00pm, $69. 6 clock hours. 
• June 30: CNCTE 07 Student Leadership/Development –  online via Zoom, 9:00am – 12:00pm, $399. 30 clock hours.
• July 1: CNCTE 09 Occupational Analysis & Skills Standards – online via Zoom 9am – 12:00pm, $299. 20 clock hours. 
• July 2: CNCTE 08 History & Philosophy of CTE –  online via Zoom 9:00am – 12:00pm, $399. 30 clock hours. 

August

• August 4: CNCTE 10 School Law –  online through Canvas, $399.  30 clock hours. 
• August 7: CNCTE 11 Safety in the Classroom – online via Zoom 5:00pm – 8:00pm, $149. 10 clock hours. 
• August 12: CNCTE 12 Role & Responsibilities/Child Abuse Issues – online through Canvas, $149.  10 clock hours.

Fall Quarter

• October 6 & 7: CNCTE 04 Introduction to CTE –  via Zoom 5:00pm – 8:00pm, $69. 6 clock hours.
• Sept 27, Oct 1, Oct 4, Oct 18, Oct 22, Oct 25: CNCTE 05 Instructional Strategies – September 27 Face - Face,  via Zoom, October 4 Face-Face, October 18 Face-Face, October 22 via Zoom, October 25 Face – Face, $399. Waivable. 30 clock hours. Ends November 3.
•  November 20: CNCTE 06 Course Organization & Curriculum Development –via Zoom 5:00pm – 8:00pm, $399. . 30 clock hours. 
• October 22: CNCTE 09 Occupational Analysis & Skills Standards –  via Zoom 5:00pm – 8:00pm, $299. Required. 20 clock hours. 
• October 7: CNCTE 16 Work Based Learning –  online through Canvas 5:00pm – 8:00pm, $399. 30 clock hours. 
• October 6: CNCTE 17 Diversity – online via Zoom 5:00pm – 8:00pm, $399. 30 clock hours. 

Year-Round Classes

• CNCTE 14 Field Experience – individually arranged, 60 clock hours. $399
• CNCTE 15 Culminating Project - individually arranged, 6 clock hours. $69