Brian Jacob speaks with Michigan Public about the increased demand for career and technical education courses across Michigan 

According to the Michigan Department of Education, the number of students taking career and technical education courses has surpassed pre-COVID enrollment for the first time. Interest in these programs, which offer students a chance to accelerate their careers, have grown in recent years, reports Michigan Public. One reason for this growing popularity is the cost of a traditional college degree.

“Regular four year college costs have gone up and concerns about student debt load have gone up,” says Brian Jacob, a professor at the Marsal Family School of Education and the Ford School of Public Policy, as well as co-director of the Youth Policy Lab.

However, a 2022 study Jacob co-authored found that Black and Hispanic students are less likely to have access to the same quantity and variety of vocational programs as white students. That’s partly because they are less likely to live somewhere that has a millage supporting such learning opportunities.

Starting in 2025, the Youth Policy Lab and the Michigan state Office of Career and Technical Education will partner to study how many programs are available in each district across the state.

“We can determine ‘what do we need to do to reach out and increase our participation across diverse populations?’” Celena Mills, director of the state Office of Career and Technical Education tells Michigan Public. “And then [determine] ‘are there things that we can do to continue to support students once they're in the program to help them be successful?’”