(SILVER SPRING, MD – March 31, 2021) Advance CTE applauds the inclusion of Career Technical Education (CTE) in President Biden’s American Jobs Plan and the intentional focus of the plan on investing in underserved communities and addressing persistent systemic equity gaps, particularly for race and gender. The proposal focuses workforce development investments in evidence-based programs, such as CTE, to reskill and upskill workers as well as expand the diversity and pipeline of workers into key industries critical to the nation’s infrastructure, such as clean energy, manufacturing and construction.
“A resilient, skilled talent pipeline is key to rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure and CTE stands ready, as a program with a proven track record, to help,” said Kimberly Green, Executive Director of Advance CTE. “We look forward to working with Congress to enact this historic investment and to securing a dedicated investment in CTE in order to meet the needs of employers while also supporting each learner’s pathway to a good job with a liveable wage.”
The American Jobs Plan has a robust array of inter-connected proposals including critical investments in broadband, K-12 and community college building and lab modernization; a notable $48 billion investment in programs to help learners, as early as middle school, explore and gain skills in high-skill, high-wage and in-demand careers and to expand community college partnerships and apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs with a focus on reaching historically marginalized communities.
Advance CTE calls on Congress and the Administration to leverage and align The American Jobs Plan’s one-time investments with existing, ongoing programs, such as the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It is critical that these historic investments are made strategically, and with a commitment to transparency and public accountability. With over 100 years of federal investment, the CTE community stands ready as a proven, responsive and collaborative partner that is ready to help build a more resilient and equitable national infrastructure, economy, and workforce.
Advance CTE 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 to advance high-quality CTE policies, programs and pathways that ensure career success for each learner.
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Media Contact:
Stacy Whitehouse, [email protected]
Senior Associate, Communications and State Engagement
