Association for Career and Technical Education

What Association for Career and Technical Education does

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is a 501(c)-style non-profit membership association founded in 1926 and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, that serves as the largest national organization dedicated to advancing career and technical education (CTE) in the United States. ACTE's primary constituents are CTE educators, administrators, counselors, postsecondary faculty, students, and corporate and institutional partners, with representation across all 50 states plus DC, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, and Guam through 12 content divisions, 5 geographic regions, and roughly 50 affiliated state associations.

ACTE's product portfolio centers on the Quality CTE Program of Study Framework — an evidence-based framework with 90+ criteria across 12 elements, paired with an online Program Self-evaluation Instrument that has been completed more than 4,000 times since 2018. Supporting technology includes CTE Learn (an online learning platform with certified courses), the Alex AI assistant (built on the Bettybot platform and trained on curated ACTE content), and an iMIS-based association management system. Auxiliary offerings include the award-winning Techniques magazine (8 issues per year), the annual CareerTech VISION conference with CareerTech Expo, the National Policy Seminar, the Work-Based Learning Conference, regional conferences, and leadership development programs (National Leadership Fellowship, NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Fellowship, CTE for All Mentorship, State Leadership Training).

ACTE generates revenue primarily through tiered annual membership dues — individual professional ($80), student (free), retired ($31), international ($60), corporate (Workforce Advocate $2,000 to Future Maker $25,000), educational institution (Silver $2,500 to Platinum $10,000), and national affiliate ($500) — supplemented by event registration fees, conference exhibition sales, publication and merchandise revenue, and corporate grants. Distribution is multi-channel: direct self-serve via acteonline.org, a 50-state association reseller network, and a Strategic Partnerships team handling institutional and corporate accounts.

Name

Association for Career and Technical Education

Legal name

Association for Career and Technical Education

Website

https://acteonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), founded in 1926, is the largest US non-profit membership association for career and technical education professionals, serving educators, administrators, and counselors nationwide with advocacy, conferences, publications, and a quality program framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Career & Technical Education (CTE) Standards Authorities (EDADAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ), Electives & Enrichment Curriculum (Arts, Music, PE, CTE Exploratories) (EDAGAAAG), Assessment Analytics & Item/Question Intelligence (IRT, Item Banks, Diagnostic Insights) (EDAFAFAG)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Career technical education
• Workforce development advocacy
• Professional development programs
• Membership association

Headquarters

HQ city

Causeway Bay

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from professionals ($80/year), retirees ($31/year), students (free), and international members ($60/year). Core revenue stream supporting the association's operations and programs.
2. Corporate Membership: Corporate membership tiers: Workforce Advocate ($2,000), Talent Developer ($5,000), Industry Connector ($10,000), Future Maker ($25,000). Includes company logo placement, event discounts, and advertising benefits.
3. Educational Institution Membership: Three-tier institutional membership: Silver ($2,500), Gold ($5,000), Platinum ($10,000). Includes professional memberships, event registrations, and VIP benefits.
4. National Affiliate Organization Membership: Annual dues of $500 for non-profit organizations with professional interest in CTE improvement and expansion.
5. NEDA Membership Dues: National Executive Directors Association membership at $130 per person per fiscal year (July 1-June 30).
6. Event Registration: Revenue from major conferences including CareerTech VISION, National Policy Seminar, regional conferences, Best Practices Conference, and other professional development events.
7. Publications and Shop Sales: Sale of Techniques magazine (8 issues/year), publications, and merchandise through ShopACTE. Also includes advertising in publications.
8. CareerTech Expo Exhibition: Corporate exhibition booth sales at CareerTech VISION event, targeting education decision-makers including superintendents, counselors, administrators, and curriculum specialists.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ACTE is a nonprofit professional association that delivers membership services, advocacy, professional development, conferences, and educational resources to career and technical education (CTE) professionals, administrators, educational institutions, and corporate partners. Its core intellectual product is the ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study Framework, a 12-element, 90+ criteria evidence-based framework for evaluating CTE program quality, paired with an online Program Self-evaluation Instrument. Supporting offerings include the CTE Learn online learning platform, Techniques magazine, multiple annual conferences (CareerTech VISION, National Policy Seminar, Work-Based Learning Conference, Best Practices for CTE Administrators, Postsecondary CTE Summit), leadership fellowships, mentorship programs, and tiered membership programs for individuals, educational institutions, and corporations.

Product overview

ACTE is a membership-based professional association—not a software product company—with a portfolio of programs, publications, frameworks, and events that collectively serve its mission of advancing career and technical education. The core offering is the ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study Framework, an evidence-based self-evaluation framework for CTE program quality, paired with a Program Self-evaluation Instrument (available in print and online). ACTE also provides an AI-powered assistant called Alex for site navigation, and an online learning platform (CTE Learn) hosting certified professional development courses aligned to the Framework. Supporting products include Techniques magazine (8x/year), advocacy resources (CTE Policy Watch blog, state fact sheets), and a CTE 101 microsite with toolkits for counselors and administrators. ACTE runs multiple annual conferences (CareerTech VISION, National Policy Seminar, Work-Based Learning Conference, Best Practices for CTE Administrators) and regional conferences. Professional development programs include the National Leadership Fellowship, NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Fellowship, CTE for All Mentorship, and State Leadership Training. Awards programs (ACTE Excellence Awards, ACTE Impact Awards) recognize CTE achievement. ACTE also offers structured membership tiers for individuals (professional, retired, student, international), corporate entities (four tiers from $2,000 to $25,000/year), educational institutions (Silver/Gold/Platinum), and national affiliate organizations ($500/year).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACTE Quality CTE Program of Study Framework An evidence-based framework defining high-quality CTE with more than 90 criteria organized under 12 elements, capturing the full range of activities across a CTE program of study. Used by CTE programs, schools, and state agencies to evaluate and improve program quality.
• Program Self-evaluation Instrument A companion self-evaluation tool to the Quality CTE Framework, available in print and online, enabling CTE programs to score themselves across all 12 framework elements and receive an automatically calculated score report.
• CTE Learn Online Learning Platform Online learning platform offering professional development courses, including the High-quality CTE Course Series and certified courses aligned to the Quality CTE Framework elements, for CTE educators and administrators.
• Techniques Magazine Award-winning publication delivered eight times per year covering CTE features, classroom connections, effective leadership, news, and career connect content for CTE professionals.
• CareerTech VISION Conference ACTE's annual flagship conference bringing together CTE professionals for professional development, networking, and exhibitions, featuring the CareerTech Expo and corporate exhibition booths.
• National Policy Seminar ACTE's annual policy-focused event for advocacy, public policy education, and federal engagement on CTE issues, held in Washington D.C.
• Work-Based Learning Conference ACTE's annual conference dedicated to work-based learning strategies, employer partnerships, and student career development.
• ACTE National Leadership Fellowship Program A premier leadership development program providing immersive learning experiences, mentorship, and strategic projects for CTE professionals.
• NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Fellowship

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% high school graduation rate for secondary CTE concentrators
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MBA ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2026Strategic integration of MBA Research Conclave into CareerTech VISION 2026, combining CTE conference programming with business education research and resources.
• National Executive Directors Association (NEDA)coreOthersNEDA is a subsidiary organization within ACTE for state CTE association executive directors. Strengthens capabilities and effectiveness of state executive directors through communication, professional growth, and association management support.
• XellominorGTM or Marketing PartnerXello sponsors CTE 101 resources for school counselors, helping them better understand CTE and advise students effectively.
• Pearson Career ReadyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPearson sponsors CTE Sector Sheets and administrator resources, supporting CTE advocacy and awareness materials.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Education Association: Largest US educator professional association and labor union. Comparable to ACTE as a membership-based education professional association serving teachers and advocating on federal policy, though broader in scope across all K-12 subjects rather than CTE-specific.
• American Federation of Teachers: National union representing teachers and education professionals. Like ACTE, AFT provides professional development, advocacy, and member services, but operates as a labor union with collective bargaining across all education disciplines rather than focusing specifically on CTE.
• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD): International education leadership association focused on curriculum, instruction, and supervision. Comparable to ACTE in providing educator professional development, conferences, and publications, but addresses general K-12 curriculum rather than CTE-specific programs.

Direct peers

• Advance CTE: The national non-profit representing state CTE directors and state-level CTE leaders. Most direct comparable to ACTE in the CTE space, with overlapping focus on Perkins Act implementation, state policy advocacy, and CTE program quality, though Advance CTE focuses on state agency leaders while ACTE reaches individual practitioners.
• SkillsUSA: National nonprofit serving middle school, high school, and college students preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations. Comparable to ACTE in mission of advancing CTE, but focused on student members and career competitions rather than educator professional development.
• National Skills Coalition: National advocacy organization focused on skills training and workforce development policy. Comparable to ACTE in federal advocacy on workforce and CTE funding, though NSC focuses more on policy and research while ACTE delivers practitioner professional development.
• MBA Research: National provider of business education curriculum standards and resources, including the Conclave conference recently integrated with ACTE's CareerTech VISION. Direct peer and strategic partner of ACTE in business/marketing education, with overlapping standards frameworks and educator resources.

Emerging players

• International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE): Membership organization serving educators focused on educational technology. Comparable to ACTE in providing conferences, standards frameworks, and certification for educators, but specialized in EdTech integration rather than CTE-specific programs of study.

Others

• Council for Exceptional Children: International association for special education professionals providing professional development, publications, and standards. Comparable to ACTE in operating as a membership-based professional association with divisions, conferences, and standards work, but specialized in special education rather than CTE.
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM): Subject-specific professional association for math educators offering membership, journals, conferences, and standards. Comparable to ACTE in operating a content-division structure with regional affiliates and an annual conference, though focused on mathematics rather than CTE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/actecareertech
• Facebookfacebook.com/actecareertech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association for Career and Technical Education