A great place to start planning a career
All schools within the Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District offer a variety of experiences that help students explore careers and prepare for future education and the world of work.
CTE NEWS
Harbor Springs freshman’s short horror film, Derailed, wins Compass College Film Festival award
Harbor Springs High School may be one of the most idyllic school settings in the state, but it has some scary stories lurking inside… in the form of a budding young filmmaker. Freshman Emma Spencer recently won a Best Cinematography award for her horror film short,...
Jim Rummer awarded Michigan’s 2023 Career Tech Education Administrator of the Year
When Jim Rummer began his career as Director of Career and Technical Education for Char-Em ISD 15 years ago, there were a handful of vocational education programs spread around the ISD’s 11 public school districts. CTE was just taking off and becoming recognized as...
Char-Em receives 2023 Excellence in Practice Award from state career tech office for Street STEM initiative
Char-Em Street STEM has been on a roll into local K-8 classrooms this school year, and now it has rolled into top honors at the state level with an Excellence in Practice award from the Michigan Office of Career and Technical Education. This new Char-Em ISD...
Career Tech to Careers Signing Event: Logan LaHaie, Petoskey High School graduate, at Muller Electric / L&L Electric
You could say Logan LaHaie had an enlightening moment during his Construction Trades class at Petoskey High School during his senior year. In the class, students learn about every aspect of construction, from framing and drywalling to roofing and electrical...
Career Tech to Careers signing event: Collin Lang, Harbor Springs graduate, and Declan McNulty, Petoskey graduate, at Wentworth Builders
Career Tech to Careers signing event: Collin Lang, Harbor Springs graduate, and Declan McNulty, Petoskey graduate, at Wentworth Builders Two recent local graduates are adding to the construction workforce in Northern Michigan and to Wentworth Builder’s growing...
Career Tech to Careers signing event: Ryan Meier, Harbor Springs High School graduate, with Bay Water Builders
Standing in the living room of a 6,400-square-foot home overlooking Lake Michigan on a secluded stretch of shoreline north of Harbor Springs, Ryan Meier took in all the stunning details that he had a hand in shaping. “I really love this job. I get to build cool...
Career Tech to Careers signing event: Austin Deater, Central Lake High School graduate, at Bellaire Auto
A classroom activity designed to help students find careers led Austin Deater to Bellaire Auto Repair upon graduation from Central Lake High School in early June 2025. As an assignment, Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates Specialist Josh Todd had students enrolled in...
What is Career & Technical Education?
Career & Technical Education is an essential component of the total educational system and is critical to our workforce development. This education for the work place has been called many things over the years – vocational education, technical education, career education, occupational education and workforce training. We call it Career and Technical Education or CTE.
Career and Technical Education is provided in a variety of settings and levels including awareness of different jobs at the elementary level, middle school career exploration, secondary CTE programs, post secondary certificates and degrees, and whole community – students and families, teachers and schools, and businesses. It includes academics, work experience, occupational training, career counseling and joint activities between business and education.
CTE Program Spotlight
Aviation Science and Technology
Construction Technology
Public Safety
Start Working On Your Future Career Now!
Think about all the people you know who graduated from high school in the past few years. Very likely here’s what you’ll see:
- Some young grads may have earned a college degree and are now in satisfying careers.
- Others may have changed college majors two or three times. Likely they’re still in school trying to discover a good career “fit.”
- Others may have dropped out after a semester or two, disenchanted because they have no clear vision of the future.
- Still others may take other approaches leading to satisfying careers.
As you’ve watched the lives of other students unfold, likely you already know there are many different ways to prepare for a wide variety of satisfying careers. Today you can begin early in school.
Char-Em ISD provides opportunities for career exploration K-12. Throughout this website, you’ll see how we are reaching kids of all ages to encourage them to start thinking about and exploring careers!
