WASHINGTON (June 29, 2016) — Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce are advocating a bill designed to reauthorize and reform current laws promoting career and technical education.
Introduced June 28 by Reps. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and Katherine Clark, D-Mass., the Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act reauthorizes and reforms the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act passed in 2006, according to a press release from the Democrats on the Education and Workforce Committee.
“This well-engineered and robust reauthorization aims to close our nation's skills gap by creating clear pathways to education and training for students eager to pursue careers in vital technical fields,” Rep. Thompson said in the release.
“Every student deserves a fair chance to earn the skills needed to thrive in the modern workforce,” said Rep. Clark.
Among other things, according to the release, the new bill will:
- Give states more flexibility to use federal resources in response to changing education and economic needs.
- Ensure that career and technical education prepares all students, including historically disadvantaged and vulnerable students, for success in high-skill, high-wage occupations and careers in nontraditional fields.
- Improve alignment with in-demand jobs by supporting innovative learning opportunities, building better community partnerships and encouraging stronger engagement with employers.
- Enhance career and technical education through increased focus on employability skills, work-based learning opportunities and meaningful credentialing so students are prepared to enter the workforce poised for success.