Silver Spring, MD – September 20, 2016 – Today, Advance CTE and the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) urge the Senate to continue its efforts to complete its work to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) this year.
The following statement can be jointly attributed to Kimberly Green, Advance CTE Executive Director, and LeAnn Wilson, ACTE Executive Director:
“We urge the Senate to continue working toward reauthorization of the Perkins Act in this Congress and encourage lawmakers to remain committed to renewing this important legislation in a bipartisan manner.
“There is broad recognition in both parties and in both chambers of Congress that Perkins, and the CTE programs it supports, is an effective tool that prepares our nation’s students for the 21st century economy. The demand for high-quality CTE is tremendous. And while the economy is still recovering, employers are still facing significant skills gaps.
“Now is not the time to put the brakes on completing work on this important legislation. CTE has enjoyed nearly a century of bipartisan federal support. This support and willingness to work together in Congress has been due, in no small part, to the shared understanding that a strong federal investment in our nation’s CTE system is critical to the nation’s competitiveness and economic future.
“We therefore urge the Senate to continue to build upon Perkins and CTE’s long bipartisan legacy so that it can work with the House to address the remaining concerns of the CTE community and ultimately enact legislation that advances high-quality CTE and is good for students, employers, and our nation’s economy and prosperity.”
Media Contacts:
Katie Fitzgerald, Advance CTE
301-588-9630; [email protected]
Jarrod Nagurka, ACTE
703-683-9312; [email protected]
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The Association for Career and Technical Education 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 counselors 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.
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.
