The House Education and the Workforce Committee approved legislation on Thursday that U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) introduced to help more people enter the workforce with the skills needed for high-skill, high-demand jobs.
The Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century Act, H.R. 5587, would reauthorize and reform the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.
The bill, which includes key provisions led by U.S. Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Joe Heck (R-NV), would give states more flexibility to use federal resources and to ensure that career and technical educations prepare all students for high-skill, high-demand careers.
“I deeply appreciate the support of my colleagues on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for this thoughtful legislation, which will bring our nation’s career and technical education system into the 21st century,” Thompson said. “We have witnessed the increased growth in career and technical education since the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act was passed unanimously by Congress in 2006. As co-chair of the House Career and Technical Education Caucus, I consider the committee’s approval of this bipartisan bill to be a landmark step towards closing our nation’s skills gap and empowering students pursuing careers in vital technical fields.”
To ensure that students are being trained for high-demand jobs, the bill would also support learning opportunities, foster community partnerships and encourage more employer engagement.
The measure would also streamline performance measures, reduce administrative burdens by simplifying the application process for federal resources, and direct federal resources towards evidence-based practices.
Curbelo, an original sponsor of the bill, authored specific language that was included in the bill to formalize an extension of career and technical education into middle school.
“The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act is an extremely positive step forward for career and technical education,” Curbelo said. “This proposal brings the various stakeholders to the table, including the business community, to make a significant contribution to the development of effective programs. H.R. 5587 focuses on ensuring that students are prepared for jobs by promoting work based learning, a central element for developing useful skills, and encouraging states to integrate their CTE services with other job training programs.”
Heck, meanwhile, introduced an amendment that would ensure that Nevada continues to receive a fair share of federal career and technical education funding.
“This amendment undoes the imbalance in funding created by the 1998 hold harmless provision contained in current law in a responsible manner and ensures that all students receive their fair share of federal CTE funding,” Heck said. “Students who pursue CTE perform well in school because they have a vision of what they want to do in the future. Whether that vision is to work in information technology, agriculture or public safety, Nevada’s CTE programs provide our students with a strong educational and vocational foundation to take into the professional world.”
The amendment would ensure that Nevada continues to receive its fair share of federal funding, Heck added, so that it can provide students with the skills and training they need for successful futures.