Houston Independent School District (ISD) is taking a bold step to modernize how high schools prepare students for postsecondary success. In response to a rapidly changing economy and evolving workforce demands, the district is reimagining Career and Technical Education (CTE) to make real-world, work-based learning a core part of the high school experience.

That approach comes to life through the Barbara Jordan Career Center (BJCC), a centralized, state-of-the-art career training hub designed to expand access to contemporary high-quality, industry-aligned programs. As HISD scales this model, the BJCC is evolving into a modern center for innovation that connects learning directly to high-demand careers and meaningful postsecondary options. These efforts reflect a deliberate and strategic commitment by Houston ISD to ensure graduates leave high school with the skills and experience to earn a living wage and be successful in careers, college, and beyond. 

Professional-Level Equipment, Training, and Experience Built for the Real World

As Houston ISD advances its CTE vision, the district is prioritizing authentic, hands-on learning that mirrors the environments students will encounter beyond high school. The district is transforming the Barbara Jordan Career Center into an innovative, centralized environment where students train using the same tools, technologies, and practices found in professional settings. Students will remain enrolled in their neighborhood high school and receive transportation to the BJCC for pathway completion beginning as early as ninth grade.

While enrollment will begin in the fall of 2026, over the next four years, BJCC will undergo a multi-year expansion that includes redesigned instructional spaces and specialized facilities such as a manufacturing lab, robotics lab, and an outdoor drone area. These spaces are designed to house professional-grade equipment, including electric vehicle charging stations and plasma cutting machines, resources that are often too costly and complex to maintain on individual high school campuses.

By centralizing these investments, Houston ISD can deliver high-quality training at scale while expanding access across the district. Students from ten participating high schools will have access to 16 Texas Education Agency defined Industry Based Certification programs of study clusters. This design will enable the district to offer dozens of courses, far beyond what any single campus could offer independently. In programs such as automotive technology, students train using industry-standard equipment including tire balancers, cranes, and multiple vehicle lifts. This hands-on experience supports deep skill development and helps students make clear connections between classroom learning and future careers. For those who begin CTE pathways in ninth grade, the model can provide up to four years of sustained, industry-aligned experience by the time they graduate and enter the workforce.

Aligning Education with Workforce Demand

This approach is intentionally rooted in local workforce development needs. Programs of study planned for the 2026-2027 school year at BJCC were selected based on findings from an analysis of Houston-area labor market data to identify career fields that lead to living-wage employment, defined as jobs paying more than $45,000 annually.

The resulting programs of study span high-demand industries where students can realistically expect strong job prospects after graduation. These include cybersecurity and networking; manufacturing, robotics, and drone technology, beginning in the 2027 to 2028 school year; health sciences fields such as diagnostics, therapeutics, health informatics, and pharmacy; culinary arts and teaching; and skilled trades including automotive, construction, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and welding.

The analysis also found that these career clusters consistently exceed a critical demand threshold of more than 291 annual job openings per field. This ensures that students are not only trained for meaningful careers, but for careers where opportunity truly exists. By grounding program design in workforce data and pairing it with professional-level training environments, Houston ISD is creating a CTE model that is both aspirational and practical, preparing students to graduate with skills, experience, and real economic opportunity within reach.

How It Will Work at Scale

As Houston ISD expands access to the Barbara Jordan Career Center, the district has been intentional about designing a model that can serve significantly more students without sacrificing quality. Enrollment at BJCC is expected to grow from its current 906 students to nearly 4,000 by the 2028 to 2029 school year. To support this growth while maintaining small class sizes and hands-on instruction, the center will operate on staggered shifts, with approximately 900 to 1,000 students on campus at any given time.

This approach also allows BJCC to relieve capacity constraints at individual high schools. In high-demand programs such as Culinary Arts, where students are often placed on waitlists due to limited space, the expanded BJCC model will open additional seats and ensure more students can participate in the pathways that interest them most.

From a family perspective, the logistics are designed to be seamless. Students will continue to start and end their day at their home campus, and Houston ISD will provide daily transportation to and from BJCC two to three times per week, including appropriate accommodations for students receiving special education services. Parents’ responsibilities will not change, making it easier for families to support their students’ participation in these expanded career learning opportunities.

Career Ready AND College Ready by Design

By investing in facilities, programs, and partnerships that reflect the real world, Houston Independent School District is redefining what meaningful readiness after high school can look like. Through the continued expansion of the Barbara Jordan Career Center, the district is creating an environment where students graduate with technical expertise, industry knowledge, and the confidence to navigate multiple postsecondary pathways.

This career-focused approach does not come at the expense of college readiness, but rather strengthens it by grounding academic learning in real-world application. Students remain on track for advanced coursework in math, reading, and science, ensuring they graduate with strong academic foundations and skills enabling preparation for post-secondary academic and professional success. Whether students pursue four-year degrees, two-year programs, industry credentials, apprenticeships, or direct entry into the workforce, the district’s model keeps doors open rather than narrowing options.

Taken together, Houston ISD’s vision represents a powerful shift in how secondary education can serve students and communities. By aligning learning to workforce demand, elevating the quality of hands-on experiences, and intentionally balancing career preparation with academic rigor, the district is building a system that prepares graduates not just to finish high school, but to step confidently into futures that offer purpose, stability, and opportunity.

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