Erik Swanson, Superintendent, Folsom Cordova Unified School District

If you’ve ever wondered how schools can better connect classroom learning to real-world careers, Career Technical Education, often called CTE, offers a powerful answer. In Folsom Cordova Unified School District, CTE is helping students discover their interests, develop valuable skills, and chart confident paths toward college and career.

CTE is not just a “nice to have” or niche program for a small subset of students. It’s an essential part of public education that prepares students for the future, and FCUSD is leading the way.

If you’re my age or older, you may imagine CTE as wood shop or auto shop classes. However, today’s CTE is exponentially deeper and broader, exposing students to skills and knowledge they need for today’s complex, competitive, and technology-driven job market.

In our district, that looks like the Patient Care at Cordova High School, Engineering Technology at Folsom High School, Graphic Design at Vista del Lago High School, and Welding and Materials Joining at Kinney High School. And that’s just a sampling; in total FCUSD offers 19 pathways across 11 industries. If a student has a career interest they want to explore, FCUSD likely has an opportunity for that student to do so. Approximately 48% of high schoolers in our district currently take advantage of CTE opportunities.

CTE exposes diverse learners to potential career paths before graduation, so they can make informed decisions about their future. Our programs are designed to both teach practical skills and provide A-G courses that are specifically designed to meet the minimum high school academic requirement for 4-year college acceptance. Additionally, several of our courses are aligned with Folsom Lake College’s (FLC) Career Education programs, allowing students to earn advanced certifications as well as courses on track for an AA/AS degree should they attend FLC.

Our programs also create a talent pipeline for local employers that address workforce shortages and gaps. We partner with local businesses to build professional connections between them and students. For instance, on Feb. 3 we held a districtwide Job Shadow event in which 15-20 CTE students from each high school spent the morning shadowing employees at local businesses. This served as an excellent preview for our Summer CTE Internship Program, where students have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience.

It’s hands-on experiences like this that help our students build confidence and engagement and connect their learning to real-world applications.

Accolades Beyond the Classroom

One sign that CTE is building future leaders and innovators is the long list of awards and accolades its students and teachers have earned in recent years.

In November, Cordova’s Engineering Academy earned a prestigious, $7,500 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam® Grant that will fund the development of a student-designed Smart Storm drainage system to prevent flooding and pollution. In April, Folsom High School student Fallon Griffin won an award at the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Alliance Manufacturing Challenge for her original project: a Tic-Tac-Toe game designed for the visually impaired. Cordova teacher Faith Caplan was also honored as Mentor of the Year and last July, Folsom High School student earned a gold medal in the 5-Axis CNC Machining event at the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta. Four students and two advisors from Cordova High  School and Kinney High School attended the 2025 FCCLA National Conference held in Orlando from July 5–9,  participating in competitive events, hands-on workshops, and networking activities.

And that’s just what happened in the past year!

Our community can be extremely proud of the students who represent our District at both local and national level conferences and competitions, bringing back not only awards but experiences they can share with their CTE peers.

As you can see, we’re on a roll in FCUSD’s CTE programs. We’re getting a diverse population of students engaged in their learning, involved in creating real-world applications, connected with local industry partners, and ready to launch to college and/or career. To learn more about what we offer, including some middle school and summer offerings, please visit our website.

At FCUSD, Career Technical Education is more than a set of courses, it is a promise to our students and our community. It is a promise that every student will graduate with confidence, skills, and real options for the future. Through strong partnerships, innovative instruction, and hands-on learning, we are building pathways that lead directly to meaningful careers, higher education, and lifelong success. When our students thrive, our local economy grows stronger, our workforce becomes more resilient, and our community benefits. That is the power of CTE in FCUSD and it is something we will continue to invest in and celebrate every day.