As of early March 2024, at least 29 governors had mentioned CTE and/or workforce development in their State of the State addresses, as reported by the Education Commission of the States.
The following list provides a sample of how CTE was addressed by governors across different states:
- Brad Little announced that Idaho’s LAUNCH grants program will expand to cover up to 80% or approximately $8,000 for enrollment in an education or training program aligned with an in-demand career area after high school graduation.
- Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced an additional state investment of $3 million into youth apprenticeships while celebrating that Missouri now ranks second in the nation for apprenticeship opportunities and describing the establishment or upgrading of 57 CTE institutions in the state.
- Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced that the state is working to develop the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences to provide opportunities within health care fields for students from rural populations.
- Ron DeSantis celebrated a milestone of over 600,000 rapid credentials and industry certificates earned by Florida high school students since 2019. He also highlighted the more than 229,000 students enrolled in CTE programs throughout state colleges.
- Maine Gov. Janet Mills celebrated an investment of over $200 million in job training, credentialing, career exploration and skill attainment programs. She also highlighted that more than 25,000 people have participated in internships, apprenticeships and other career exploration programs.
- Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee proposed that the state expand apprenticeship opportunities and improve pathways into health care to tackle the inequity of health care access across the state.
- Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania celebrated the milestone of 33 new apprenticeship programs with an enrollment of over 6,000 new apprentices statewide as well as investments in CTE, apprenticeship and training programs.
- Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds highlighted a record 70% of Iowans that have attained some form of postsecondary education or training, compared to 58% at the beginning of her administration. She credited this achievement to the Future Ready Iowa Act and enhanced education and workforce training across the state.
In conclusion, the future of CTE looks bright in the near and far future with the support of both Democratic and Republican governors who are increasingly aware of the benefits that CTE provides to learners’ educational and workforce journeys.
For more information on the state-by-state outlook of CTE across the country, check out the recently published State Policies Impacting CTE: 2023 Year in Review report.
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