Wicomico CTE leaders report higher participation, expand apprenticeships and evening ‘Twilight’ courses

Wicomico County Public Schools presented an update on career and technical education on the district’s work-session agenda, reporting higher CTE participation among current graduates and new programs to boost credential attainment and employer connections.

District presenters said the current-year cohort includes 968 graduating students; roughly two-thirds have taken at least one CTE course and a little over one-third have taken three or more courses, which the Maryland Department of Labor definitions treat as a “completer.” The presenters said about 389 students are projected as CTE completers under that definition and that postsecondary placement for CTE graduates is about 82 percent.

Officials said the district is pursuing several initiatives to meet Maryland’s CTE “blueprint” target—45 percent of graduates earning an industry-recognized credential. Those efforts include expanding a Twilight CTE evening program, growing Maryland Youth Apprenticeships, promoting industry-recognized credentials (IRCs) and supporting SkillsUSA competition participation.

Why it matters: state and federal grant funding and accountability measures use the CTE completion and credential metrics. District staff said improving credential attainment can support both college enrollment and direct entry into local jobs, and that the district pays testing fees for students through Title I and Perkins funds.

District staff described the Twilight program as a series of short-term, evening courses tied to IRCs. Pilots include a nail technician pathway (a 250-hour, one-year course developed to provide a shorter credential option than cosmetology), a ServSafe food-safety certification term with 11 students enrolled, and an IT-support/cybersecurity offering with about five students. Presenters said the pilot started with 10 nail-technology students and eight remain in that cohort and that word-of-mouth and social media have driven additional enrollment.

On apprenticeships, presenters said the Maryland Youth Apprenticeship initiative has grown from one student last…