June 22, 2017 – Silver Spring, MD – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted by voice vote to pass H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. The bill would reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) through Fiscal Year (FY) 2023.

The following joint statement can be attributed to Kimberly Green, executive director of Advance CTE and LeAnn Wilson, executive director of the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE).

“As leaders of organizations representing the broad community of CTE stakeholders and professionals, we commend Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), along with leadership from both parties, particularly Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), for their strong commitment and bipartisan efforts to support Career Technical Education (CTE).

“The passage of H.R. 2353 reflects not only the 100-year history of bipartisan support for CTE, but also nods to the bright future ahead for CTE, and its ability to provide learners across the country with opportunities for postsecondary and career success. This bill ensures that the good work already happening in states and local communities can continue, while also underscoring the important role CTE has in closing the skills gap. The addition of the local needs assessment will expand the use of data in driving fiscal and policy decisions and be a pivotal tool in ensuring equitable access for all students.

“In addition to those important updates, the bill authorizes appropriations that increase annually at a rate of 1.38 percent. While the authorization levels would still not completely restore the massive funding cuts made to Perkins in FY 2011, the bill is a positive step in the right direction and we are pleased to support it. The passage of this bill also sends a strong bipartisan message that the House supports increasing – not cutting – federal funding for CTE.

“While the bill has garnered our support, there is one important outstanding issue to be resolved, the bill’s proposed definition for a secondary CTE concentrator. As written, the definition would be harmful to accurately demonstrating CTE’s impact and result in misleading data regarding student success. We look forward to resolution of this important concern.

“We now urge leaders in the Senate to capitalize on the momentum and spirit of the House-passed bill and continue this bipartisan effort to reauthorize Perkins.”

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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, school counselors, 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.

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.