Technical School Preparation in CT, by the Numbers

After meeting five times, holding one public hearing, and filing a 34-page report and recommendations, the work of the state’s Task Force on the Technical High School System is complete. Even as legislation is considered based on the findings, the numbers are worth a second look, as priorities are considered and jobs remain the state's preeminent focus. In the report’s appendix one gets a clearer sense of the educational resources available, by category, across the system, which serve about 11,200 full-time high school and adult day students with programs in 30 occupational trade areas.  Looking at the number of shops in the technical high schools, topping the list one finds 17 for automotive technology; 16 each for culinary arts, carpentry, and electrical; 13 for manufacturing technology; and 12 for plumbing and heating.

There are 10 trade specialties with a single shop across the system, including automated manufacturing technology, media production, bioscience and environmental technology, pre-electrical engineering and baking.  Overall, there are seven trade clusters with a total of 189 shops in the 19 schools.