Building a Sense of Purpose in CTE

“In an era when workforce readiness, real-world skills and meaningful career exploration are more critical than ever, career and technical education stands as a powerful bridge between education and industry. Yet awareness remains a challenge. Many still misunderstand the depth, rigor and transformative potential of CTE pathways. That narrative is changing. At the 2026 Central California Builders Exchange (CCBE) Design Build Competition, CTE wasn’t explained but experienced. Hosted in partnership with the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools (FCSS) and Fresno ROP, and supported by more than 100 industry partners, the third annual Design Build Competition brought together students, educators and industry leaders for four immersive days at the Caruthers Fairgrounds in California’s Central Valley in March 2026. More than a competition, it served as a living demonstration of what happens when education and industry align with purpose. What makes this event especially powerful is how it started. After visiting the Construction Industry Education Foundation’s Northern California Design Build, CCBE and FCSS leaders saw an opportunity, and they brought it home in 2024. With just seven teams, the first builds took shape in a parking lot. But what started small quickly evolved. In 2025, the event expanded beyond construction to include welding, video production, medical, culinary and public services. By 2026, education, horticulture and automotive had joined in as well. This growth has transformed the Design Build Competition into a multi-pathway showcase of CTE in action. What CTE Can Be The scale tells part of the story. Twenty-seven welding teams fabricated fully functional 8’x5′ utility trailers from raw materials. Twenty-three construction teams, each paired with an industry coach, built 8’x12′ sheds from a stack of lumber. Twenty-one education pathway teams designed and delivered career exploration lessons to more than 100 third graders. Horticulture and floral students, coached by Elite Private Landscape, brought a different kind of build to life, designing and installing landscape improvements across the fairgrounds. Their work highlighted the breadth of careers within the field, from estimating and design to project management. Automotive students competed in the Fresno City College PicoScope Challenge, navigating real-world diagnostics and customer service scenarios. Medical students provided on-site care, while criminal justice students coordinated construction inspections from the Fresno ROP mobile dispatching headquarters, demonstrating how these skills translate across industries. Meanwhile, 21 video production teams documented the event in real time, capturing stories as they unfolded. Culinary students served an average of 750 meals a day, and public services students managed security, parking and event operations. Together, they created something unique: a fully functioning student-led ecosystem where every pathway mattered and every role connected. This represents the most powerful impact of the Design Build Competition: its visibility. The evidence of students’ work wasn’t confined to classrooms. Educators, industry partners and community members had a front-row seat to what CTE truly looks like in practice. Work That Outlasts the Event This event created something meaningful for everyone involved. Industry professionals stood alongside CTE students throughout the day, working through builds, navigating challenges and making decisions in real time. Their presence sent a clear message: This work matters, and there are real careers waiting on the other side. On-site at Caruthers Fairgrounds, companies were collaborators, not just sponsors, working side by side with students and educators and aligned around a shared purpose: investing in the next generation. In a hands-on, high-stakes environment, industry partners built credibility through action. They saw one another problem-solve, lead and deliver. They built trust, alignment and relationships that will serve them far beyond the event. When communities come together around shared value — supporting young people and investing in workforce development — they can create a network rooted in purpose. A Pipeline in Motion Perhaps the most compelling evidence of impact is in the stories of the students who come back. More than five students from previous years have returned, not as competitors, but as emerging professionals. Jennifer Alvarez, a fourth-period apprentice with the North Coast States Carpenters Union, stepped in as a construction design-build coach, mentoring students who stood where she did just two years ago as a Men-dota High School student. Alvarez, now with Dragados Flatiron Joint Venture, is working under a foreman who knows her story well — Rhonda Ripley, her Design Build coach two years prior. Two others returned as pre-apprentices with ValleyBuild — advancing in career pathways that began at the Design Build Competition. These stories show that the experience doesn’t end when the event does. Relationships, skills and opportunities continue to grow. During marketing interviews, three students were offered jobs on the spot, with immediate guidance for next steps. Their faces reflected surprise, pride and the quiet realization that this wasn’t practice anymore. These moments don’t fade. They grow each year. And new stories are still unfolding. This is what happens when education and industry come together with purpose, collaboration and shared investment. Innovation Across Career Pathways Construction may be the most visible part of the Design Build Competition, but it is only one part of the larger picture. The FCC PicoScope Challenge pushed automotive students into new territory as they worked alongside professionals from 12 local automotive shops and the Central California Diagnostic Club. Sig-nature Detailing, and Olmy Creations coached students through vehicle wrapping, detailing and advanced diagnostics, including real customer interactions. It offered a window into the evolving range of careers in the automotive industry. Across the grounds, video production students — coached by Emmy-winning ABC30 News Anchor Jessica Harrington, Community Media Access Collaborative, Horn Photo and other media partners — functioned as embedded journalists. Moving from pathway to pathway, they captured all of the energy, setbacks and breakthroughs as they happened. Their work didn’t just document the day; it told the story of CTE to a broader audience across Central California. Why This Matters Now As industries across the country face workforce shortages and skills gaps, the need for strong, visible and effective CTE programs has never been greater. Events like the Design Build Competition do more than showcase student talent. They have the power to redefine education — when aligned with real-world needs. They demonstrate that, when given tools, mentorship, and opportunity, students are capable of far more than is often expected. They also highlight the essential role of partnerships. None of this work happens in isolation. It requires educators willing to innovate, industry partners willing to invest, and communities willing to support new learning models. Looking Ahead The impact of the Design Build Competition extends far beyond four days in March. It lives on in students who’ve discovered new passions and confidence, in industry partners who have invested, mentored, and reconnected with purpose, and in communities that continue to witness what’s possible when education moves beyond the classroom. Most importantly, it lives on in a shifting perception: CTE is not an alternative path. It is essential. A pathway where students don’t just learn about the future, but they actively build it. The Design Build Competition is no longer just an event. It is a model — dynamic, evolving and deeply connected to industry — that demonstrates how education and workforce can come together to create opportunity, relevance and lasting impact at scale. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thank-you to Central California Builders Exchange, Construction Industry Education Foundation, the Design Build Steering Committee (Derek Land, Erich Klemme, Tim Herzog, Cyndi Cantu, Tracy “The Hatchet” Taylor, Miguel Uribe, Sandy West), Caruthers District Fair Board, Caruthers High School, Caruthers Lions Club, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, and all of the industry partners who mentored, judged and donated in-kind. Michelle Wong is a CTE program coordinator with the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools. Read more in Techniques. The post Building a Sense of Purpose in CTE appeared first on ACTE Online .

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