Humboldt education office honors 18 CTE students from seven schools
Eureka honored 18 CTE students, but Humboldt still has sub-5% unemployment and workforce shortages, making the ceremony a bet on local jobs, not just certificates.
The Sequoia Conference Center in Eureka was packed with students, teachers, families and local employers as the Humboldt County Office of Education honored 18 career technical education students from seven high schools and seven charter or comprehensive programs, all in fields Humboldt says it needs now, from health science and construction to agriculture, manufacturing, automotive, hospitality and arts and media.
This was not a simple awards banquet. Students had to be nominated by teachers, submit applications, include work samples and produce short videos showing what they had learned and how they had grown. HCOE said honorees also had to complete a full CTE pathway, present a standout project, show leadership, contribute meaningfully to their program, act professionally and demonstrate workforce readiness. Superintendent Michael Davies-Hughes framed the work as more than school credit, saying career technical education links classroom learning to practical experience and that the students recognized are already helping shape Humboldt’s future.
That matters in a county where the labor market still feels tight even when unemployment looks low. A 2025 UC ANR needs assessment found Humboldt has had sub-5% unemployment since January 2022, yet shortages persist across the board, especially in higher-paying positions. Humboldt County’s workforce materials also point to worker shortages, skills gaps, job losses from economic change, limited access to affordable education and an aging population. For employers, taxpayers and families, the question is whether high school pathways are feeding local clinics, construction sites, shops, farms and public agencies, or sending young workers elsewhere.
HCOE has built a wider system around that question. Its Career and College Resources Department supports all Humboldt County school districts and charter schools with CTE pathway support, work-based learning, financial aid help, career exploration and summer career programs. The Education at Work Internship Program places 11th- and 12th-grade students in work-based learning experiences, while the Trades Academy brings students into trade careers through field trips and guest speakers. In health care, HCOE says its free three-week Health-Careers Education Summer Institute, now entering its ninth year in 2026, is meant to motivate students to pursue a sector where the local workforce is hurting.
The list of schools reflected that countywide reach: Arcata High School, Eureka High School, Ferndale High School, Fortuna High School, McKinleyville High School, Six Rivers Charter School and South Fork High. Community sponsors including American Ag Credit, Coast Central Credit Union, Compass Credit Union, Harper Motors, Los Bagels, O&M Industries, Pierson Building Center, Redwood Capital Bank, Wing Inflatables, The Mill Yard, Mad River Rotary and Arcata Sunrise Rotary backed the event, underscoring that Humboldt’s workforce pipeline depends on more than schools alone.
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