In today’s global workforce, multilingualism is career capital—a gateway to meaningful, higher-earning careers for students in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
With over 12.5 million students now enrolled in CTE programs nationwide, multilingualism offers a powerful advantage in building a bilingual workforce and enhancing CTE career pathways. Industries like healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing increasingly demand bilingual workers to bridge cultures, enhance safety, and drive economic growth (—CTE Policy Watch).
The Global Seal of Biliteracy (GSB), of which Avant is the founding sponsor, certifies practical language skills that help CTE learners build a bilingual workforce ready for the global economy.
CTE in the Spotlight: A Model for Workforce Readiness
Northwest Career and Technical Academy (NWCTA) in Las Vegas, a public magnet high school with programs in Biomedicine, Culinary Arts, and Engineering, recently certified 16 students for the GSB using the Avant STAMP 4S test. The Global Seal of Biliteracy is a credential now awarded over 56,000 times worldwide as of this writing.
Featured in the official Global Seal press release, NWCTA’s success highlights how language certification can be seamlessly integrated into CTE career pathways, offering a replicable model for programs globally.
“Many of our students aren’t at the top of their class or necessarily college-bound,” says Jennifer Newman-Cornell, NWCTA’s World Language Department Chair. “Some are heritage speakers or English learners. The Global Seal gives them pride, a sense of accomplishment, and a credential they can take into the workforce.” Principal Laura Willis adds, “Being able to communicate in multiple languages gives our students a distinct advantage, especially in service industries like hospitality and healthcare.”
Why Language Skills Matter in CTE Fields
Verified bilingualism offers measurable benefits for CTE graduates entering high-demand industries:
- Workplace Safety & Risk Reduction: Language barriers are believed to contribute to as much as 25% of job-related accidents, according to data cited by OSHA and reported by SHRM, especially in high-risk sectors like manufacturing, oil and gas, agriculture, and construction. In construction specifically, language barriers exacerbate safety risks by hindering communication of vital safety information, with misunderstandings about scaffolding, load limits, or fall protection systems potentially leading to serious injuries (Talk.Build). Certified bilingual employees help ensure safety protocols are understood across diverse work teams.
- Enhanced Employability & Market Access: Trend analysis showed demand for bilingual workers more than doubled from 2010-2015, growing from 240,000 to 630,000 job postings nationally (New American Economy). This sustained growth spans both low- and high-skilled positions, with many openings accessible to individuals without bachelor’s degrees, directly relevant to CTE graduates.
- Sector-Specific Growth Opportunities: High-growth CTE sectors show particular demand for multilingual skills. Healthcare is expected to add 3.5 million jobs for health aides, technicians, and wellness workers, plus 2 million additional healthcare professionals by 2030, with the sector already facing 1.9 million unfilled openings (McKinsey & Company). Construction employment is projected to grow 12% through 2030, though the sector currently has 383,000 unfilled positions (McKinsey & Company). These shortages create opportunities for bilingual CTE graduates to fill critical roles.
- Cognitive & Professional Skills Development: Research identifies adaptability, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication as essential 21st-century skills, with LinkedIn naming adaptability as 2024’s “skill of the moment” due to rapid workplace changes (Pew Research Center, EdWeek, LinkedIn). Communication topped LinkedIn’s 2024 Most In-Demand Skills list for the second consecutive year, while adaptability saw the biggest spike in employer demand (CNBC). Bilingual individuals naturally develop these cognitive advantages through managing multiple language systems.
- Economic Context & Compensation: While wage premiums vary by role and region, bilingual workers generally earn 5-20% more per hour when language skills are directly utilized in their positions (WorkLife). Academic research using 15 years of Census data shows language skills particularly benefit workers at lower income levels—exactly where many CTE graduates begin their careers (Nih). More importantly, CTE participants are more likely to be employed after high school than their non-CTE peers (American Institutes for Research), and bilingual skills can accelerate this employment advantage.
Linda Egnatz, Executive Director of the Global Seal of Biliteracy, affirms: “Every certificate we issue represents more than a test result—it’s a message to learners that their language skills are valuable and can be used in the workplace.”
From Classroom to Career: The STAMP-to-GSB Pathway
Avant STAMP (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) is the leading qualifying assessment for the GSB. It measures real-world Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking skills in 15 commonly tested languages and Writing and Speaking, or productive skills, in over 140 less commonly tested languages.
The Avant STAMP for ASL is also the first online adaptive assessment for second-language learners of American Sign Language, which assesses both Receptive and Expressive skills.
Avant tests are used across middle schools, high schools, and adult education programs for both State and Global Seals of Biliteracy. For students who meet Global Seal of Biliteracy benchmarks, they could earn a stackable credential at two levels using an Avant STAMP test:
- Functional Fluency™ (Intermediate-Mid / B1)
- Working Fluency™ (Advanced-Low / B2)
Students and adults who wish to continue their learning can level up to the Global Seal’s highest credential by taking any qualifying test at that level:
- Professional Fluency™ (Advanced-High / C1)
Younger learners can start with STAMPe, recognizing student progress with GSB Pathway Ribbons, and using GSB Passports to build toward GSB certification. All credentials are stackable, portable, and verifiable by serial number and visible on platforms like Common App, LinkedIn, and resumes, giving CTE students tangible proof of their skills. The Global Seal now also offers a digital profile for earners to showcase and digitally share their language journey for prospective employers.
Equitable Access for Heritage and English Learners
The STAMP-to-GSB pathway ensures equitable opportunities for all learners, especially in diverse CTE programs. This is especially important given that 85% of high school graduates earn at least one CTE credit, with participation spanning diverse demographic groups who bring valuable language assets to the workforce.
Heritage speakers and English learners often bring valuable language skills, but may face assessment barriers. Avant STAMP Monolingual assessments address this by evaluating proficiency entirely in the learner’s primary language.
As explored in our Spanish language assessment blog, heritage learners may speak a language fluently but lack academic vocabulary. These tools allow them to demonstrate their abilities (not just how well they read English instructions), bridging the gap to recognition, career confidence, and upward mobility in higher-paying roles like healthcare, where bilingual skills are in high demand.
NWCTA: A Blueprint for Global Replication
NWCTA’s success offers a roadmap for integrating language certification into CTE career pathways, not just in the U.S. but in vocational systems worldwide, particularly in hubs like the Czech Republic and Germany. Their approach demonstrates how language assessment and certification can be effectively incorporated into existing CTE frameworks, creating a model that other programs could adapt to their own contexts.
Take the Next Step: Build a Bilingual Workforce
At Avant, we believe language skills are career capital, and every learner deserves recognition for their bilingual abilities. As states increasingly enact legislation to strengthen CTE with a focus on industry partnerships and work-based learning, language certification offers a complementary credential that enhances employment outcomes, addressing research findings that CTE students are more likely to be employed after graduation than their non-CTE peers.
Ready to empower your CTE students with workforce-ready language skills?
- Schedule a demo to see STAMP in action.
- Explore the Global Seal of Biliteracy to learn about this free credential.
Let’s make language proficiency a cornerstone of workforce readiness through CTE career pathways—starting with the skills your students already have. Share your story of language and career impact with #GlobalSeal50K!
