Office of Career and Technical Education

Brian L. Pyles, Ph.D., Director
Email: yotts@michigan.gov; 517-335-5224

OCTE oversees high school instructional programs that teach students skills in a specific career cluster.  Most programs offer early college credit opportunities to provide a seamless transition to postsecondary education.  The mission of the office is to prepare students so they have the necessary academic, technical, and work behavior skills to enter, compete, and advance in education and their careers.

Career Readiness Unit

Joanne Mahony, Ph.D., Supervisor
Email: mahonyj@michigan.gov; 517-335-0405

The Career Readiness Unit is responsible for providing leadership to the federal Perkins grant, including professional development and technical assistance activities.  Staff review, approve, monitor and provide support for Career and Technical Education programs, Early Middle College programs, work-based learning and work permits.

Grants, Assessments, Monitoring, and Evaluation Unit

Jill Kroll, Ph.D., Supervisor
Email: krollj1@michigan.gov; 517-241-4354

The Grants, Assessments, Monitoring, and Evaluation (GAME) Unit is responsible for collecting and reporting data, data evaluation, research activities, funding formulas, technical skill assessments and monitoring for state and federal grant programs.

Early Middle College Unit

Lisa Seigel
Email: seigell@michigan.gov; 517-241-2072

The Early Middle College Unit is responsible for screening and approving new Early Middle College applications, providing technical assistance workshops to Early Middle Colleges, hosting personalized coaching and support sessions for Early Middle College design teams, mining data for Early Middle Colleges, monitoring rules surrounding Early Middle College implementation, and delivering presentations at conferences regarding the Early Middle College movement in Michigan.

Student Career Development Resources

• Michigan Career Development Model (MI CDM)

• COVID-19 OCTE CTE FAQ
• MEMO #COVID-19-072 UPDATED Career and Technical Education Requirements FAQ During COVID-19 Closure
• MEMO #COVID-19-068 UPDATED Career and Technical Education Requirements FAQ During COVID-19 Closure
• MEMO #COVID-19-059 UPDATED Career and Techcnical Education Requirements FAQ During COVID-19 Closure
• MEMO #COVID-19-053 UPDATED Career and Technical Education Requirements FAQ During COVID-19 Closure
• COVID-19 Regional Perkins Grant Application Extension
• MEMO #COVID-19-038 UPDATED Career and Technical Education Requirements FAQ During COVID-19 Closure
• MEMO #COVID-19-036 Career and Technical Education Virtual Delivery Guidance to Support Governor Whitmer's Executive Order 2020-35
• MEMO #COVID-19-022 Career and Technical Education Requirements During COVID-19 
• MEMO #COVID-19-006 CTE Requirements During COVID-19 Closure
• CTE Instructional Resources

• COVID-19 EMC FAQ
• MEMO #COVID-19-069 UPDATED Early Middle College Requirements FAQ During COVID-19 Closure
• MEMO #COVID-19-058 UPDATED Early Middle College Requirements FAQ During COVID-19 Closure
• MEMO #COVID-19-052 UPDATED Early Middle College Requirements FAQ During COVID-19 Closure
• MEMO #COVID-19-037 UPDATED Early Middle College Requirements FAQ During COVID-19 Closure
• MEMO #COVID-19-007 EMC Requirements During COVID-19 Closure

COVID-19 MDE Resources

• MDE Resources
• Summer Programming Guidance - MEMO #COVID-19-070

Perkins FY18 Waiver

The Carl D. Perkins Act requires states to expend their state grant funds by September 30, 2020.  Due to the COVID-19 emergency and the stay at home order, funds were not expended as budgeted.  For the state to retain these federal grant dollars, Michigan is proposing to request a waiver to extend the deadline for expending funds to September 30, 2021.  The proposed waiver would apply only to MDE, not to subrecipients. Please see the link below to comment on the proposed waiver. Direct questions to Christine Black at BlackC11@michigan.gov.