May 23, 2017 – Silver Spring, M.D. – The following is a joint statement from the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and Advance CTE in response to the $168 million cut to state grants for Career Technical Education (CTE) included in the President’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget. The statement comes after ACTE and Advance CTE issued a joint statement last week amid reports in The Washington Post of the cuts. Today’s joint statement can be attributed to LeAnn Wilson, executive director of ACTE, and Kimberly Green, executive director of Advance CTE.
“While the Trump Administration talks about supporting workforce and skills development, this dramatic cut is nothing short of an attack on CTE and the students and employers who benefit from it. At a time when millions of job openings go unfilled every year due to shortages in the skilled, technical workforce, President Trump should double-down on an investment in CTE, not propose drastic cuts.
“This proposed $168 million cut from state grants for CTE significantly reduces states’ abilities to use these resources to improve and expand CTE programs based on their specific needs. It’s incredulous that an Administration that wishes to devolve authority to the states proposes to increase its own funding at the federal level by $20 million; this essentially equates to taking funds out of the pockets of states, colleges and schools to a create a new, untested program run by the Secretary of Education.
“As a businessman who has employed a range of employees – from engineers to computer programmers – the president is well-positioned to appreciate the importance of a skilled workforce that meets the demands of today’s economy. Unfortunately, this budget falls woefully short in its commitment to students, employers, and the next generation American workforce. We urge the President to review the far-reaching impact CTE has on all facets of the economy, and to make investing in CTE a priority.
“As leaders of two organizations representing the broad CTE community, we strongly oppose the proposed cuts to CTE and will work closely with Congress to prevent the implementation of this destructive budget.”
Click here for a list of recent statements by President Trump and his administration supporting CTE. These statements now contradict the budget’s proposed cuts to CTE.
Contacts:
Katie Fitzgerald, Advance CTE
301-588-9630, [email protected]
Jarrod Nagurka, Association for Career and Technical Education
703-683-9312, [email protected]
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About Advance CTE
Advance CTE: State Leaders Connecting Learning to Work is the longest-standing national non-profit that represents State Directors and state leaders responsible for secondary, postsecondary and adult Career Technical Education (CTE) across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Established in 1920, Advance CTE supports visionary state leadership, cultivates best practices and speaks with a collective voice on national policy to promote academic and technical excellence that ensures a career-ready workforce.
About ACTE
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.
