Postsecondary career/technical education: changes in the number of offering institutions and awarded credentials from 1997 to 2006

This issue brief examines trends from 1997 to 2006 in the number of sub-baccalaureate postsecondary institutions that offer programs in career/technical education (CTE), and the number of sub-baccalaureate CTE credentials awarded by postsecondary institutions. Trends were examined by institutional sector, focusing on the three sectors most commonly offering CTE: public two-year institutions, for-profit less-than-two-year institutions, and for-profit two-year institutions. In 2006, these sectors collectively accounted for 87 per cent of the less-than-four-year institutions that offered CTE and awarded 94 per cent of all sub-baccalaureate CTE credentials. Overall, the number of less-than-four-year institutions offering CTE increased three per cent from 1997 to 2006, and the number of sub-baccalaureate CTE credentials awarded increased 24 per cent. Over this time period, there was a shift in both CTE-offering institutions and CTE credentials, from public two-year institutions to for-profit two-year and less-than-two-year institutions. Although the number of credentials awarded grew at a faster rate among for-profit institutions than among public two-year institutions, the latter still awarded most sub-baccalaureate CTE credentials in 2006 (58 per cent) while for-profit two-year and less-than-two-year institutions combined awarded 35 per cent.

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