Press Releases

On Thursday, July 7 at 10:00 a.m., the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by Rep. John Kline (R-MN), will consider the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 5587). The markup will take place in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Since 1984, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act has provided federal support to state and local career and technical education programs. These programs offer students the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to compete for jobs in a broad range of fields, such as health care and technology. However, because federal law has not been updated in more than a decade, it no longer reflects the realities and challenges facing students and workers.

Building on recent reforms to K-12 education and the workforce development system, Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA)—along with Reps. Bradley Byrne (R-AL), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), Jim Langevin (D-RI), and Rick Nolan (D-MN)—introduced the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. The bipartisan bill will help more Americans compete for high-skilled, in-demand jobs by:
 

• Delivering states more flexibility to use federal resources in response to changing education and economic needs.
  
  
• Ensuring career and technical education prepares all students, including historically disadvantaged and vulnerable students, for success in high-skill, high-wage occupations and careers in nontraditional fields.
  
  
• Improving alignment with in-demand jobs by supporting innovative learning opportunities, building better community partnerships, and encouraging stronger engagement with employers.
  
  
• Enhancing career and technical education through increased focus on employability skills, work-based learning opportunities, and meaningful credentialing so students are prepared to enter the workforce poised for success.
  
  
• Streamlining performance measures to ensure career and technical education programs deliver results for students and taxpayers.
  
  
• Reducing administrative burdens and simplifying the process for states to apply for federal resources.
  
  
• Rewarding success and innovation by directing federal resources to replicate promising practices that best serve students and employers.
  
  
• Providing parents, students, and stakeholders a voice in setting performance goals and evaluating the effectiveness of local programs.
  
  
• Empowering state and local leaders to develop plans that improve the quality of career and technical education and take into account unique ‎local and state needs.

 
For more information on H.R. 5587, click here.

For more information on the markup, click here.

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