Secretary DeVos Approves Six Additional Perkins Career and Technical Education State Plans

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced today the Department of Education has approved six additional career and technical education (CTE) plans. Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, New York, South Carolina and Utah are the latest states to have their CTE plans approved under the new, bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), which was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on July 31, 2018.

“Thanks to the president’s leadership, the new career and technical education law gives local leaders the flexibility to make investments in the highest impact areas of local need,” said Secretary DeVos. “We know many well-paying, in-demand jobs require CTE training but not necessarily a college degree and the associated debt. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly highlighted the need for all education to be tailored to meet each student’s unique needs, more nimble, and relevant to 21st-century realities. High-quality CTE programs are a critical way to help learners of all ages and get our economy back up and running at full speed.”

Perkins V encourages states and territories to expand opportunities for every student to access educational opportunities that will put them on the path to success. Each state crafted a plan to fulfill its promise of offering a robust CTE option for students following consultation with its key constituents representing education and workforce, business and industry, and parents and community partners

To date, 31 Perkins plans have been approved by the Secretary.

The following are some of the noteworthy elements from each of the approved plans. Additional details about each approved plan can be found on the Department’s website

Colorado

• Uses discretionary funds to incentivize collaboration, innovative problem solving, and scaling of best practices aligned to its state’s strategic plan for CTE.
• Supports sharing fiscal resources among secondary and postsecondary partners to further enhance CTE programs and opportunities for learners.
• Leverages economic development regions to engage secondary-postsecondary partnerships in CTE program development.

Florida

• Expands apprenticeship training opportunities and promotes career readiness and workforce opportunities for students and working adults.
• Funds professional development designed to increase evidence-based teaching practices.
• Leads efforts to create CTE programs that are aligned to labor market demands in new and emerging fields.

Kentucky

• Offers youth apprenticeships through its statewide program to provide seamless career pathways for students into registered apprenticeship opportunities and employment.

• Provides training in advanced manufacturing to any soldier in the U.S. Army who is transitioning to civilian life.
• Offers an associate degree and/or certificate for adult learners through its Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship program in in-demand career fields.

New York

• Supports programs to improve the economic security of women, youth, and other populations who face significant barriers to career advancement.
• Prepares students for highly skilled jobs in technology, manufacturing, healthcare and finance through its P-TECH model, a public-private partnership that provides opportunities to earn dual credit and learn professional workplace skills.
• Builds regional collaboration among educators and business and industry partners to facilitate the development of CTE programs of study and articulation agreements into postsecondary education.

South Carolina

• Builds stronger partnerships with military and government agencies to launch course offerings within the government and public administration career cluster.
• Implements its Technical Scholars Program in several colleges that align with local labor market demands.
• Increases professional development for CTE faculty by partnering with industry associations.

Utah

• Adds program quality indicators to its accountability data system to increase measures of high-quality CTE programs in the state.
• Funds high-quality regional recruitment and development of educators through an annual application process.
• Expands CTE opportunities to middle-level students (grades 6-8) to address achievement gaps and career biases early on.