In August, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution that designates September 2019 as “National Workforce Development Month.” The resolution, introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mike Enzi (R-WY), and CTE Caucus Co-Chairs Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Todd Young (R-IN), recognizes the growing skills gap and supports the promotion of federal workforce development investments to ensure our economic competitiveness in the 21st century economy.
The resolution, which was supported by 29 senators, made the important distinction that CTE plays a vital role in the workforce development ecosystem, by fusing “rigorous academic content with occupational skills,” and is more effective in retaining and graduating secondary students than traditional education. Even with this recognition, CTE remains historically underfunded, especially with the increasing demand and popularity among students. If funding had simply kept pace with inflation since FY2004, its highest funding level, Perkins Basic State Grants would receive an additional $450 million per year.
ACTE will be active during September to celebrate Workforce Development Month and ensure that policymakers adequately support the CTE ecosystem. We will be conducting meetings with congressional offices, participating in briefings, actively promoting CTE on social media, and engaging in other coordinated initiatives with our partner organizations. Please stay tuned to the CTE Policy Watch Blog during the month for more updates.
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