The bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act makes important updates to career and technical education
Legislation encourages states, schools, and local CTE provides to update education and job training programs to meet the needs of local economies
Senator Murray: “…we were able push partisanship aside and work together to invest in students and workers”
Senator Murray worked with Senators Casey (D-PA), Enzi (R-WY), and Alexander (R-TN) to reauthorize Perkins CTE Act
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded the passage of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, a bill to update and reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act. This legislation makes important, necessary updates to career and technical education to give workers and students the skills they need to find high-skill, high-wage or in-demand jobs—and gives businesses the ability to find the workers they need to compete in a changing 21st century economy. The bill now goes to the House.
“As so many families struggle to find good-paying jobs and so many companies struggle to find skilled workers, I’m proud to work with my colleagues across the aisle to reauthorize and pass this important law that will help our students, workers, businesses, and communities compete in the 21st century economy,” Senator Murray said. “I’m glad we were able push partisanship aside and work together to invest in students and workers by giving them the education, skills and training they need to get better jobs and higher wages—and I’m pleased we able to include accountability measures to help improve programs and ensure students and workers aren’t falling through the cracks.”
The first reauthorization of the Perkins CTE Act since 2006, this legislation would encourage states, schools and local CTE providers to update education and job training to meet the needs of the local economies, ensuring students and workers have the skills needed to remain competitive. It would also increase alignment with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)—two major pieces of bipartisan legislation co-authored by Senator Murray—and promote collaboration between stakeholders so that local businesses can communicate their needs to states and educators as strategies and programs are developed.
View a summary of the bill HERE.
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