Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a broad term applied to education that combines academic and technical skills and prepares students to make successful transitions to postsecondary education and the workplace. CTE is taught in high schools, area career centers, community colleges, and increasingly middle school. CTE programs focus on demand occupations across 16 “career clusters.” These include Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, Architecture & Construction, Arts, A/V Technology & Communications, Business Management & Administration, Education & Training, Finance, Government & Public Administration, Health Science, Hospitality & Tourism, Human Services, Information Technology, Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security, Manufacturing, Marketing, Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, and Transportation, Distribution & Logistics. Some states, including Illinois, have added a 17^th career cluster of Energy. Librarians are classified in the Education & Training career cluster. CTE provides students with opportunities for dual enrollment, industry recognized credentials, and work-based learning (WBL) experiences. The Diverse Librarianship Career Training and Education (DLCTE) Program utilizes the work-based learning opportunity of CTE. 

Work-based learning at its best integrates academic learning with real-world application to provide paths to educational and career advancement and build the talent pipeline. This approach holds great promise for low-income and lower-skilled youth and adults, who all too often lack equitable access to high-quality work-based learning experiences that can serve as steppingstones to increased economic opportunities. (From 7 Principles for Effective Work-Based Learning) 

WBL programs contain three key components: the alignment of classroom and workplace learning; application of academic, technical, and employability skills in a work setting; and support from classroom or workplace mentors.  The most common models of WBL include internships, co-ops, transitional jobs, on-the-job-training, and apprenticeships.  

DLCTE relies on engagement from the high school student, the CTE teacher, the workplace partner supervisor, and the DLCTE Program mentor. The roles and involvement of scaled programs may look different than those below. For example, the role of the workplace partner supervisor and mentor may be combined in your program.