Press Release - Statement from the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium on President Obama’s State of the Union Address

January 28, 2010
For Immediate Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2010
Contact: Erin Uy, euy@careertech.org
301-588-9630 (office), 301-641-9358 (cell)

Statement from the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium on President Obama’s State of the Union Address

SILVER SPRING, MD – Last night, President Barack Obama made clear in his State of the Union address that returning Americans to the workplace should be the nation’s top priority. The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, an organization committed to supporting programs and legislation focused on preparing individuals with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the workforce, strongly agrees.

“Career technical education (CTE) is one of the solutions to the President’s call for action in preparing individuals for the workforce and creating an infrastructure to support the nation’s economy,” said Kimberly Green, NASDCTEc Executive Director. “We hope that Congress and the President recognize and sustain the work already being done through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which has long funded CTE programs that equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to compete and thrive in the workforce – the objectives that the President has laid out.”

CTE serves students of all ages — youth and adults — to prepare them for the very jobs the President outlined in his speech. Perkins funds proven programs that train Americans for jobs in a range of fields that touch all aspects of the economy, including technology, green, nursing, STEM, transportation and early childhood.

The President said he looked to community colleges as “career pathway[s] to the children of so many working families.” This is another area in which CTE plays a critical role as Perkins funds help to provide seamless educational transitions for students as they move from high school to community colleges and programs for individuals returning to school from the workforce.

Nationally, about 60 percent of Perkins funds are being used at the secondary level and 40 percent of the funds are used at the postsecondary level, mainly at community colleges.

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NASDCTEc is the Washington, DC-area based professional society of the state and territory agency heads responsible for career technical education. The association has a growing membership of over 200 members who share the State Directors’ commitment to quality education at the secondary, post secondary and adult levels.