There is a specific moment I love in my job. It’s when a student stops asking, “What am I supposed to do after high school?” and starts asking, “Could I actually do that?” That mind shift matters.
When students have the opportunity to follow their interests and curiosity, learning can take on a different meaning. A student who is passionate about healthcare, technology, business or how things work can begin to connect their passion to a real future. Career technical education, or CTE, gives students a chance to explore their interests and start developing skills they can carry with them beyond high school.
That is a huge part of what we do at Alabama Destinations Career Academy.
Students in grades 6-8 and 10-12 have access to more than 30 CTE courses across seven pathways that are aligned with standards established by the Alabama State Department of Education. Some individual programs may also offer opportunities to pursue industry-recognized credentials.
That distinction is important when we talk about how these programs should be evaluated. CTE career pathways are elective programs that students and families choose based on their interests, curiosity and goals for the future. Career-specific courses are not core academics, and they are not evaluated using the same measures as courses like reading or math—they require different measures of success.
A standardized assessment asks whether a student has mastered a particular academic subject. A CTE program asks a different question: Can we help this student discover a career, build relevant skills and take a meaningful step toward what comes next?
Students and families who choose our career pathways do so because they see something they want to explore. Maybe it’s healthcare. Maybe it’s IT. Maybe it’s business, manufacturing or early childhood education.
Sometimes they know exactly where they are headed. Sometimes they are simply curious. That curiosity is often where it starts.
At Alabama Destinations Career Academy, about 90% of our high school students select a dedicated career pathway. And those pathways are more than classes delivered through a computer screen. Students meet industry professionals. They participate in career-focused events, job shadowing, work-based learning and career clubs.
Students can participate in organizations such as SkillsUSA. They can pursue industry-recognized credentials and take dual enrollment courses. In fact, we have more than 100 employers and industry partners, including the Alabama Fire College, Shelton State Community College, all 24 community colleges in the state and four university partners. All of these are engaged across the program and committed to helping students explore careers and industries.
Students who pursue credentials are often required to complete additional work beyond taking a course. Depending on the program, students may need supplemental instruction, specialized training or additional preparation to meet industry requirements. That takes work.
And in a virtual learning environment, it also takes consistency, accountability and perseverance. Students have flexibility, but they also have to take ownership of their learning and be willing to put in the time. That investment can pay off in the form of credentials, career-ready skills and opportunities they can take with them after graduation.
We also work hard to make hands-on learning possible, even when a student isn’t sitting in a traditional classroom.
For example, last school year, select high-performing IT students were invited to pursue an FAA Part 107 certification through an extracurricular support course. Students completed a 15-hour Pilot Institute training program and participated in a hands-on drone field day to prepare for the exam, which was covered by the school. It’s a great example of what can happen when students are given the opportunity to turn interest into a skill and given the support to take it further.
For some Alabama students, virtual education can open doors that geography would otherwise close. A student in a rural community may not live close enough to a school offering a technical program to participate. Their schedule, transportation or personal circumstances may make a traditional program difficult to access. But a virtual model can bring career exploration and training to that student instead of asking them to go somewhere else to find it. That matters in Alabama.
Our state needs workers in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, information technology, business and so many other fields. We need young people who are ready to step into those jobs and who can see themselves building their lives here. Our pathways are aligned with Alabama’s CTE standards and were selected with local workforce needs and student interests in mind.
And while numbers don’t tell the whole story, they matter. During the 2024-25 school year, 76% of Alabama Destinations Career Academy students met the state’s college- and career-readiness standards. Students can work toward credentials including WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certification, Microsoft Office Specialist, Adobe Certified Professional and Alabama Career Essentials certifications. Through community college partnerships, students can also earn college credit while completing high school.
But the moments that stay with me aren’t percentages. It’s the student who realizes healthcare could be a career. The student who earns a certification and suddenly sees a job within reach. The student who takes a college course and thinks, maybe college really is for me. It’s the family that realizes their child’s opportunities don’t have to be determined by their ZIP code. That’s the promise of CTE.
At Alabama Destinations Career Academy, we are working to give Alabama students more possibilities when they graduate than they had when they entered high school. Help students find something that matters to them. Give them a chance to try it. Empower them to build the skills to pursue it.
And, ultimately, help them see a future they can be proud to build. In Alabama and beyond.
Every student deserves that chance. And Alabama’s future depends on making sure they get it.
Cindy Cates serves as the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Administrator for Alabama Destinations Career Academy, where she helps students build the skills, credentials, and real-world experience they need to succeed in college and the workforce.
Cindy Cates is the Alabama Destinations Career Academy CTE Administrator.
