CTE as a Lifelong Learning Portal

According to the most recent data available from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania (2014), among rural Pennsylvania households, approximately 39 percent had incomes below $35,000. [...]U.S. Census Bureau data indicate that Armstrong County ranks 33rd out of 67 counties in terms of poverty, with an overall 13 percent poverty rate (Index Mundi, 2015). According to the Rural Policy Matters (2014) article "Rural-Urban College Completion Gap," rural residents would like to pursue postsecondary studies, but they often lack access to them. "Increasing access to higher education, especially four-year degree programs, is an important economic development strategy for rural communities" the article states. [...]rural CTE programs that can provide access to postsecondary education position themselves as learning hubs, playing an instrumental role in breaking the cycle of poverty many residents face.