Houston ISD is expanding access to career and technical education, adding 16 updated programs at the Barbara Jordan Career Center starting next school year.
Beginning next school year, students from 10 HISD high schools will have access to programs focused on high-demand, high-wage career fields, including information technology, engineering, health, human services and skilled trades.
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District leaders say the updates are designed to better align classroom learning with real-world skills employers are seeking across the Houston region.
At the same time, the BJCC is undergoing a significant expansion and modernization. The upgraded facility will feature state-of-the-art equipment and workspaces designed to mirror real industry environments.
HISD expects the modernization to support hands-on learning opportunities such as internships, externships and student-led enterprises for more than 4,000 students by 2028.
The district acknowledged that some CTE offerings are being phased out at individual home campuses.
HISD officials say students currently enrolled in those programs will be allowed to complete their existing programs of study. Skills from phased-out pathways will also be integrated into related courses as electives or extracurricular opportunities.
District superintendent Mike Miles has also outlined plans to further expand modernized CTE programming districtwide. Those plans include a second career center to serve high schools in the southern part of Houston and expanded partnerships with Houston Community College to support schools in western areas of the city.