Career Technical Education Programs Prepare Millions for Modern Workforce, Must Continue to Evolve to Meet High-Skill Demands of Today’s Economy
WASHINGTON – Federal investments in career and technical education programs must ensure that all students are prepared for high-skill, high-wage jobs that meet the demands of today’s economy, witnesses told the House Education and the Workforce Committee today at a hearing about the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.
“Today’s career technical education programs, or CTE, are successfully preparing millions of Americans to succeed in both college and career. They provide students with the skills and knowledge that today’s employers demand. Nationwide, many CTE programs are innovating to serve the evolving needs of students and of today’s economy,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the committee. “They are fostering educational environments that engage students with an integrated curriculum of core academic content and real-world, work-based relevance. But we must do more to spur innovation in delivery of CTE, to reward and replicate programs achieving positive outcomes for students and industry, and to ensure CTE is positioned to drive economic success through better workforce alignment and increased collaboration.”
Career and technical education (CTE) is already helping to ensure a skilled workforce is ready to meet workforce demands and maintain our global competitiveness. Witnesses testified that continued student success in CTE programs means a focus on aligning learning with labor market demands; greater collaboration between secondary and postsecondary institutions, employers, industry partners, labor organizations, and workforce systems; program accountability; and investment in innovative instructional strategies.
“Career and technical education is central to rebuilding our economy and securing a brighter future for our nation,” said Brenda Dann-Messier, Assistant Secretary for Adult and Vocational Education with the U.S. Department of Education. “Our federal investment in CTE must be dramatically reshaped to fulfill its potential to prepare all students, regardless of their background or circumstances, for further education and cutting-edge careers.”
The Perkins Act aims to improve technical education programs across secondary and postsecondary institutions in order to spur economic growth. However, the across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration coupled with recent budget cuts to the Perkins Act are having a negative impact on CTE programs’ ability to meet student needs. In April of 2012 the Obama administration released a blueprint for reauthorizing Perkins with a clear focus on alignment with workforce demands, collaboration, accountability, and innovation. Committee Democrats have indicated that a full reauthorization of Perkins should be bipartisan and restore adequate funding for CTE programs.
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