Career Technical Education is no longer niche at Paso Robles schools. For more than half of Paso Robles High School students, the career-readiness program has become part of their standard education experience.
The district now offers 18 Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways at Paso Robles High and two more at Liberty High School, giving students opportunities to prepare for careers in health care, engineering, agriculture, cybersecurity, construction, welding, automotive technology, floral design, and more—all while earning their high school diplomas.
“This program is really involved with creating courses that align with post-secondary opportunities like programs at Cuesta, or four-year colleges, or that align directly with industry opportunities in the local community,” Megan Cannon, Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) college and career coordinator, told New Times. “We’re really looking at a sequence of classes that students can take that will prepare them, give them the practical job skills, for a particular industry.”
According to district data, 1,172 students—57 percent of Paso Robles High School’s 2,057 students—took at least one CTE course during the 2025-26 school year. Of those, 256 completed an entire pathway, while another 16 completed more than one. Half of the district’s CTE courses are also dual enrolled, allowing students to earn college credit while still in high school.
The district’s CTE pathways are designed as two- and three-course sequences that combine classroom instruction with technical training, industry certifications, and workplace experience. Students begin with foundational courses before progressing into increasingly specialized classes that mirror real careers.
“We work with employers in the community to see what the industry need is, what types of skills or experience students need, … and then offer opportunities so students can see what that’s actually like and be better prepared to take on a job when they graduate,” Cannon said.
Agriculture remains one of the district’s largest and most comprehensive programs.
Students in the animal science pathway begin by studying livestock management, animal nutrition, genetics, anatomy, and ethical animal care before advancing into veterinary science and animal production.
Working at the school’s farm, they care for cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and poultry while learning disease diagnosis, reproductive systems, and clinical procedures. Upper-level students perform fetal pig dissections, participate in veterinary simulations, and can earn certifications including Youth for the Quality Care of Animals, Pet CPR, and CareerSafe Veterinary Science. Participation in Future Farmers of America (FFA) is required throughout the pathway.
The district is also expanding its agricultural offerings with a new plant and soil science pathway that will give students hands-on experience in crop production and agricultural science.
“We’re going to be expanding and planting a small orchard,” Cannon said. “We’ll have some grape vines. We’ll have a composting area and a soil preparation area as well as a greenhouse.”
Students interested in horticulture can study plant physiology, soil science, nursery production, landscaping, and floriculture while designing floral arrangements for weddings, winery events, and other community projects. The pathway also offers Ag Align certifications and job-shadowing opportunities with local businesses.
Hands-on learning extends across nearly every CTE pathway.
Early childhood education students help operate the preschool on campus; culinary students prepare meals in commercial kitchens; and construction, engineering, and automotive technology students complete projects modeled after real industry work.
Health care students spend an average of 120 hours in internships, gaining experience in professional medical settings before graduation. Cannon said the district hopes to expand internship opportunities into additional pathways as insurance requirements are resolved.
“We’re really looking to create industry-recognized certifications that students can gain along the way,” Cannon said. “So that when they graduate, not only do they have experience, but they also have some kind of certification that is recognized in that particular field as well.”
The district is adding two new pathways this school year.
At Liberty High School, students can enroll in a new public safety pathway featuring courses in emergency services and drone technology. Graduates of the program will earn their FAA Part 107 commercial drone certification, opening doors to careers in law enforcement, fire services, agriculture, engineering, and media production.
Paso High is also launching its first cosmetology pathway. The three-year program allows students to complete the 1,000 training hours required to qualify for California’s cosmetology licensing exam while still in high school. After building foundational skills, students will eventually work with members of the public in a new on-campus salon.
“When they graduate, they’ll be able to go work as a licensed cosmetologist right away,” Cannon said.
Once the salon opens, students will provide haircuts, facials, manicures, pedicures, and other salon services while gaining the experience required for professional licensure.
Community partnerships are another cornerstone of the district’s CTE program.
Organizations including River Grove Veterinary Services, Bank of the Sierra, the city of Paso Robles, Movement for Life Physical Therapy, PRW Steel, Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ, Flowers by Kim, Atascadero State Hospital, Cuesta College, and Cal Poly help shape curriculum, provide guest speakers, support internships, and connect students with career opportunities throughout the region.
“All of our pathways have local industry partners,” Cannon said. “The whole goal is to help our students connect with the skills that we need in this local region.”
According to the district’s Career Technical Education Guide, every student is encouraged to complete at least one pathway before graduation. For Cannon, the program’s success is measured by the opportunities students have after they leave high school.
“We have kids that are going to work right after they graduate high school,” she said. “We want to help them not have that lowest basic entry-level job, but to be better prepared so they can get a slightly better job, a higher-wage, higher-skill job.” ∆
Reach Staff Writer Chloë Hodge at chodge@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Education Today 2026.
