A Phenomenological Study

Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are designed to help prepare students to become effective workers by equipping them with college and career readiness skills needed for the 21st century workplace. Students who participate in a CTE Program of Study (POS) have the potential for greater success during and after high school because they have achieved academic success in meeting the college and career readiness targets that lead to success in post-secondary and career training. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of graduates who participated in a CTE POS. Through the use of documents, interviews, and a focus group, the perceptions from 10 participants who participated in a CTE POS during high school were examined. The data gathered in this study was analyzed using the procedures of a hermeneutical phenomenology and four themes emerged during the research process. This study found that the participant's learning process was enhanced through participation in a CTE POS and they were able to transfer learning to a variety of contexts that increased their readiness for college and their future career.