Employment data at the state and regional level play an important role in the approval of new Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Such programs are more likely to be approved if there are sizeable projected job openings for occupations related to the educational program’s pathway and cluster. Another factor that supports program approval is a projected average wage for occupations in the pathway/cluster that is higher than the average wage for the state.

The federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 includes several references to High Skill, High Wage, or High Demand occupations. Not all high wage occupations require high skills (Bachelor’s degree or higher). In the next ten years nearly half of the job openings in the U.S. and Delaware will require middle-level skills.

The Delaware Department of Education, in collaboration with Delaware Department of Labor, developed definitions for "middle-skill, high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand" occupations as follows:

• Middle Skill: Occupations requiring some type of post-secondary education (such as an apprenticeship, certification, or an Associate’s degree) but not a Bachelor’s degree; or High School education with some work experience or at least one month on-the-job training or credential attainment.

• High Skill: Occupations requiring at least a Bachelor’s degree, or Associates’ Degree with either a required Residency/Internship or five years of experience.

• High Wage: Occupations paying more than the Delaware all-industry statewide median wage ($46,700 in 2021).

• High Demand: Occupations with at least 4 annual job openings due to growth in Delaware.

These designations of occupations help direct investment into educational programs that have the potential to be the most effective for student outcomes. Since program completers are likely to find employment in a wide range of related occupations under a career pathway or cluster, an attempt has been made to designate career pathways and clusters with the Middle Skill, High Skill, High Wage and High Demand designations. This framework provides the basis for linking program completion with cluster-wide job placement data to evaluate the effectiveness of CTE programs.

For more information, please contact the Delaware Department of Education by phone at 302.735.4015 or by email to Nicole Lawless at Nicole.Lawless@doe.k12.de.us.