Getting Into the Field: An Examination of STEM-Focused Career and Technical Education Coursework in High School and STEM Labor Market Participation After School

• In Event: Understanding the Role of Career and Technical Education in Building the STEM Pipeline

Abstract

Career and technical education (CTE) participation in high school is increasingly seen as a promising channel into improved postsecondary and career opportunities. This is particularly true for STEM-focused CTE coursework, which previous research has shown can boost high school math performance, the odds of postsecondary enrollment as well as the decision to major in a STEM-related field of study. What remains unclear, however, is the degree to which STEM-focused CTE coursework in high school links to participation in STEM-related professions beyond school such as engineering or architecture. Consequently, the current study used a nationally representative data panel and a series of ordinary least squares (OLS) models to examine this gap in the literature. To reduce the potential impact of omitted variable bias, variation in the regional STEM labor market gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was used as an instrument for participants' decision to earn credits in STEM-focused CTE courses. Results and policy implications are discussed.

Author

• Cameron Sublett, Pepperdine University