Rather than treating vocational programs and college prep as separate tracks, career and technical education (CTE) should be seen as a flexible route to debt-free postsecondary options and in-demand roles across technology, trades and emerging AI-enabled fields. Available funding should be used strategically to ensure these programs can hold up in the long term, according to Corey Gordon, education strategist for CDW Education. “Ultimately, it comes down to the school knowing what they want to do and making sure people are bought in,” he said. “There are a lot of funding sources, so just make sure it's sustainable after that grant is gone, or it’s something that can be repeatable after you get the kids’ interest.” Technology should close opportunity gaps, not widen them. James Riley, CEO and co-founder of itopia, said that in one Brooklyn high school, he saw students going out of their way to get access to and teach themselves how to use professional-grade technologies. In a design class, he saw students asking for access to applications outside their course of study, such as Autodesk.
