In a recent speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Secretary of Education Arne Duncan touted the Administration’s efforts to strengthen education, while putting forward an agenda for the future. He noted the important role that education has in rebuilding the economy and preparing a highly trained, competitive workforce. “With more than 3 million unfilled jobs in this country, we have a skills gap that can only be closed if America does a better job training and preparing people for work,” said Duncan. He highlighted multiple pathways, including CTE, for obtaining needed skills and education by elaborating, “Whether it is a two- or four-year college, trade, technical or vocational training, some form of learning beyond high school must be the goal of every student.” Additionally, he laid out a set of important goals for the Department moving forward. Among them was enacting reforms in CTE at the secondary and postsecondary levels as well as more closely aligning CTE with the private sector.
In his remarks at the press club, and later at a gala event hosted by the Committee for Education Funding, Duncan urged greater investment in education in addition to reforms. He also pledged the president’s commitment to funding education, saying “some people see education as an expense government can cut in tough economic times. President Obama sees education as an investment in our future—the best investment we can make, especially in tough economic times.” CTE is especially well positioned to address the skills training and educational needs that are critical to an economic recovery. It is time for the Administration and Congress to strengthen the investment in CTE.
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