Building Green Career Pathways with
Career Technical Education (CTE) courses provide students with career and academic skills and leadership development that make them career and college ready. To build student awareness around sustainability careers, Energize Schools hosts a Green Careers Webinar Series and Green Careers Conferences, and offers a Green Careers Toolkit for educators and emerging professionals.
How Energize Schools Can Support You:
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"When students first come to class, it’s like, 'Ugh, I don’t even like science!’ That’s why I love moving into CTE. The curriculum that SEI has built changes their minds about science because it’s not such abstract concepts for them to visualize. ... All of the hands-on components and the connection to real world situations or real world issues has been a huge benefit to me. It makes my time as a teacher much more enjoyable."
— Juan Hernandez, a teacher at Oceanside High School, teaches SEI’s Career Technical Education courses Innovations in Green Technology and Energy and Environmental Design. |
Career Technical Education — the Future of Education
What Makes Career Technical Education Different?
Career Technical Education (CTE) courses help students develop technical and professional skills for energy and sustainability careers. No matter what students’ interests, background, and skills are, they learn how they can make a good living while helping to address the most important economic, social, political, and environmental challenges of our time.
From taking CTE courses, students become an informed citizenry that is engaged in creating sustainable energy systems that are essential to economic, social, and environmental quality of life and that understand sustainability challenges are opportunities that require creativity, innovation, and leadership.
High Demand: Green Job Growth
According to WorkingNation's Green Jobs Now report, green job demand is projected to increase by 5.5% in the next five years. "Learning the most highly demanded green skills can come with a substantial salary increase," according to the report. "Renewable energy knowledge was the green skill most requested by employers in 2022, with over 40,000 listings and an annual salary premium of about $5,600."
Career Technical Education (CTE) courses help students develop technical and professional skills for energy and sustainability careers. No matter what students’ interests, background, and skills are, they learn how they can make a good living while helping to address the most important economic, social, political, and environmental challenges of our time.
- CTE programs bridge the skills gap and help create a pipeline of talented emerging professionals to meet the growing demands of the shifting economy by integrating skills such as zero-emissions and electric vehicle training.
- CTE program participants were more likely to earn a college degree, increasing salary potential and decreasing the earnings gap.
From taking CTE courses, students become an informed citizenry that is engaged in creating sustainable energy systems that are essential to economic, social, and environmental quality of life and that understand sustainability challenges are opportunities that require creativity, innovation, and leadership.
High Demand: Green Job Growth
According to WorkingNation's Green Jobs Now report, green job demand is projected to increase by 5.5% in the next five years. "Learning the most highly demanded green skills can come with a substantial salary increase," according to the report. "Renewable energy knowledge was the green skill most requested by employers in 2022, with over 40,000 listings and an annual salary premium of about $5,600."
Browse CTE Curriculum
All courses are semester- or year-long UC A-G approved courses that are designed to meet California Career Technical Education Standards. Teachers can request curriculum by completing this request form. Please share the opportunity to request SEI curriculum widely with your colleagues but do not share curriculum directly. Sharing of curriculum is restricted to SEI to enable accurate grant tracking and to allow us to provide updated versions to all schools and classrooms using our curriculum.
Sustainable Enterprise Curriculum
This course provides students with content knowledge and hands-on skills for vocational and entrepreneurship pathways in green careers fields. The Sustainable Enterprise Course is aligned with the Career Technical Education standards in the Entrepreneurship Pathway (Marketing, Sales & Services Sector). The modular format allows teachers to easily adapt content and activities to align with additional standards, including state-specific standards for vocational education.
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Innovations in Green Technology
This D-Lab Science course introduces students to career opportunities in sustainable STEM fields through a series of projects including wind turbine design, making biodiesel, creating solar cars, and energy auditing. The Innovations in Green Technology course is aligned with the Career Technical Education standards in the Energy and Power Technology pathways (Energy, Environment, and Utilities Sector).
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Energy and Environmental Design
The SEI Energy and Environmental Design course is year-long UC A-G approved G-Elective course in which students complete in-depth experiential projects related to sustainable design, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. With Introduction to Green Technology, this course offers complete coverage of California Technical Education standards for the EEU industry sector - Energy and Power Technology Career Pathway.
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Finding Your Path to a Green Career
Energize Schools's Career Connections Toolkit is a one-stop shop for educators, counselors, and emerging professionals. The Career Connections Toolkit provides tools for job seekers interested in green careers.
The toolkit will guide you through the early stages of a job search, starting with an exploration of sustainability professions and moving through applying for jobs and networking. It also includes an introduction to industry certifications. Access SEI’s Career Connections Toolkit here. |