Today, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), co-chairs of the Senate CTE Caucus, reintroduced the Educating Tomorrow's Workforce Act (S. 191). The co-chairs introduced a previous version of the bill in July 2014, during the 113th Congress.
The legislation builds on the effectiveness of the programs of study model by including a more rigorous definition requiring alignment with state-identified standards, progression in content specificity, multiple entry and exit points for students and the culmination in the attainment of an industry-recognized credential. Programs of study have proven to be a highly effective method of organizing CTE programs to offer students a sequence of courses leading from secondary school to some form of postsecondary education.
The bill would also introduce a comprehensive, annual needs assessment of program quality elements to allow local eligible recipients to better identify and meet the needs of students and the local or regional labor market. Among the list of elements is professional development for CTE educators, work-based learning opportunities, up-to-date equipment and technology and opportunities for students to earn postsecondary credit in high school.
ACTE proudly endorses the Educating Tomorrow's Workforce Act and applauds the Senate CTE Caucus co-chairs for their continued leadership. "Senators Kaine, Baldwin and Portman have proven to be steadfast champions of CTE in the past, and their reintroduction of the Educating Tomorrow's Workforce Act further demonstrates their commitment to leading on this critical issue," said ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Wilson. "This legislation will ensure that federal funding will support important tenets of successful CTE programs so they can function at their highest capacity, and will support students planning to continue their education beyond high school for a career they feel passionately about."
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