Kent ISD close to doubling enrollment in career & technical education

All districts — Three years into its CareerPrep 2030 initiative, Kent ISD and its partner schools are approaching the goal of enrolling 10,000 students in career and technical education (CTE) and similar programs.

During an annual review with local school officials, Joe Lienesch, Kent ISD’s director of career and technical education, highlighted progress in three key areas: expanding CTE; increasing work-based learning opportunities; and improving engagement and access for students and families.

The initiative has already surpassed its annual enrollment target, putting its long-term goal within reach, Lienesch said. Statistics show Kent ISD and districts enroll about 8,200 students in CTE programs, which is above the project goal of 7,400 for this year, he said.

“That’s not just the work of the ISD, that’s the work of everyone in this room,” Lienesch said. “It’s also helping to do the same work in local communities and our post-secondary campuses and community partners.”

When CareerPrep 2030 launched in 2023, some worried that its ambitious enrollment goal could eventually exhaust the pool of students interested in CTE programs.

Instead, demand continues to grow, Lienesch said.

“Even though we’re doing more CTE across this county than ever before, (Kent Career Tech Center’s) waitlist is going back up, which is an indication that access and awareness is happening and engagement of students and families is going up,” he said.

Kent ISD plans to expand CTE capacity with a second tech center at 3820 68th St. SE, in Caledonia, scheduled to open in 2028.

Bringing CTE to More Students

CTE participation continues to grow, with an average 1,700 additional students enrolling in programs annually since 2023, Lienesch said.

He credited the growth to regional programs and local district partnerships. Ten new programs were established in local districts last year, while countywide program participation grew 17% in 2024-25 and 18% in 2025-26, he said.

Some district partnerships are:

• Kent ISD’s Health Career Foundations, offered in seven districts: Northview, Kent City, Forest Hills, Thornapple Kellogg, Wyoming, Kentwood and Sparta. Students earn college credit in medical terminology and several industry certifications.
• Godfrey-Lee Public Schools partnered with Grand Rapids destination marketing organization Experience Grand Rapids to establish NAF Hospitality and Tourism Academy at Lee High School.
• Grand Rapids Public Schools secured state approval for several CTE programs, including Junior ROTC, construction trades and hospitality and tourism. The district plans to develop at least four more programs in coming years, focusing on agricultural science, business administration, education and woodworking.
• Kelloggsville Public Schools reported growth in CTE and work-based learning participation, from four students a decade ago to 23 today. Of the district’s approximately 285 juniors and seniors, 90 participate in programs such as the Tech Center, West Michigan Construction Institute and Next Step of West Michigan.

Regional programs were:

• The Center for Medical Training, which specializes in certified nursing assistant (CNA) training, partnered with Kelloggsville Public Schools in 2024. The program has since expanded through Kent ISD to Godwin Heights and Forest Hills, where CNA training is offered at Central High School.
• Grand Valley State University highlighted dual-enrollment and direct-credit opportunities, including medical terminology and a premedical pathway offering up to 10 credits. Students may earn up to 13 credits.

Workforce Connections

Another major component of CareerPrep 2030 is business partnerships, which have helped students prepare for careers through internships, mock interviews and resume preparation, said Ryan Graham, Kent ISD director of workforce development.

Students have participated in more than 2,000 work-based learning experiences, and more than 4,000 students have earned industry-specific credentials, Graham said. In the 2025-26 school year, 485 students received formal training agreements and more than 500 participated in long-term placements, many of them paid, he said.

Through its partnership with Kent ISD, precision medicine and theranostics company BAMF Health now participates in FutureSolve, a regional high school internship program.

Andy McLean, BAMF Health manager of CEO Relations, said a FutureSolve project focused on raising awareness of prostate cancer evolved into an annual 108-mile walk during September’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. This year, Rockford Construction contributed $10,000 to the company’s foundation to support the initiative, McLean said.

“(Kent ISD) helped us bring talent through the door that we might not otherwise have access to,” McLean said. “At the same time, these students have a project that is dedicated to solving a problem that we do not currently have the ability or the resources to solve.”

Much to Experience and Explore

The initiative also aims to help students explore career options earlier, before their schedules limit their choices.

Kent City Superintendent Bill Crane said his district has expanded career education and workforce opportunities over the past three years through partnerships with Kent ISD.

“They have never been more engaged in school than what they are right now, because they’re out there,” Crane said of his students. “They’re doing it. They’re seeing what it looks like, what those possibilities are, and so that is something that’s just been so exciting to see.”

Kent ISD consultants have provided nearly 900 hours of support to school districts in career-readiness planning, industry experiences, student portfolios, educational development plans and the centralized college and career planning platform SchoolLinks, which help elementary through high school students connect their interests with potential career pathways. Lienesch said.

Michigan’s new middle school CTE certification program is also creating opportunities for students to explore pathways earlier, Lienesch said.

A program added in several districts, Manufacturing and Engineering Education Reimagined for All, introduces middle school students to manufacturing and engineering careers, he said. 

Caledonia eighth-grader Chuck Klein has participated in MEERA and said the program helped him develop new skills while introducing him to potential career paths.

“It’s opened up a whole new world to me,” he said. “I used to be a person who didn’t really know what they wanted to do, but this program has allowed me to come up with (a plan, which) is to be a master electrician.”

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