ABOUT US
Our Mission
Innovating the education-to-career experience to strengthen student success.
As Sonoma County’s education-to-workforce intermediary, we provide the leadership, infrastructure, and operational capacity required to align resources and the partners around shared workforce development goals.
Our approach has led to the development of countywide initiatives that expand access to career-connected learning, strengthen workforce pipelines, and create opportunities for students who have historically been underserved.
Our vision
All Sonoma County students have rewarding careers that strengthen their lives, our community and the workforce.
Career Technical Education is…
Relevancy
CTE integrates core curriculum with hands-on, industry-related project work and skill-building exercises to connect the classroom to the real world.
Skill Building
CTE fosters an environment to learn and practice skills needed in life and work, such as collaboration, communication and initiative, as well as technical skills related to specific careers.
Career Exploration
CTE creates opportunities to observe the “real world” by linking students with local industry and employers through internships, job shadowing, workplace tours, industry-mentored projects and work-based learning.
Ready for Their Future
CTE better prepares students for life after high school, ensuring higher levels of success in their pursuit of post-secondary degrees, certifications and training.
What the Local Data Says*
*According to YouthTruth’s January 2026 report
47%
of Sonoma County high schoolers say they care more about what they're learning when they're solving a real-world problem.
35%
of Sonoma County high schoolers say they feel ready for the world of work.
57%
of Sonoma County high schoolers say they did not participate in any counseling about future career possibilities this year.
39%
of Sonoma County high schoolers say their school helped them understand the steps to have a career they want.
Our Background
Founded in 2012, Career Technical Education (CTE) Foundation is a Sonoma County nonprofit intermediary dedicated to bridging the gap between industry and education, focusing on a seamless pipeline from high school to high-wage, high-growth careers. Since our inception, we have operated at the intersection of economic development and workforce preparation. For more than a decade, CTE Foundation has provided resources to our schools to help them create and enhance more than 145+ CTE courses in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, engineering, health care and hospitality.
We collaborate with education and industry to create countywide programs that provide students with pathways to post-secondary education and careers. Since our founding, we have invested more than $19.2 Million in local schools and career exploration opportunities for Sonoma County students and have deepened its investments and commitment to student success through innovative, career-connected learning that increases student engagement, brings relevancy to classroom learning, addresses local workforce need and gives young people hope for a future in Sonoma County.
Our Pledge to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
CTE Foundation is grounded in our vision that ALL students have rewarding careers that strengthen their lives, our community and the economy. We believe this is only realized by ensuring equitable access to education and career pathways regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background or ability.
We acknowledge the difficult truth underlying the systemic racism that contributes to inequities impacting a young person's ability to realize their full potential.
We invite and embrace the many identities of the communities we serve regardless of race or ethnicity, language spoken, family makeup, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, immigration status, economic status, educational attainment, neighborhood in which one lives or any other defining characteristic.
Therefore, we pledge to work to dismantle racism in our own organization through our hiring, promotion, and retention practices; our board governance, representation, and policies; and in our community through our grant making, program development, student and teacher engagement and community partnerships.
Join Our Community!
Your partnership opens doors to career-connected learning, internships, and hands-on experiences that prepare students for success after high school. Get involved today!