U.S. House passes bill introduced by Rep. Thompson to help strengthen career technical education
In an effort to strengthen career and technical education, a local congressman helped draft a bill that would reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.
U.S. Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-Howard Township), co-chairman of the House Career and Technical Education Caucus, and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) introduced the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. It was passed last month by the House of Representatives.
“(The) vote is a win for the American worker,” Thompson said in a statement. “Given the dramatic evolution of our nation’s workforce, it is imperative that we create clear pathways to education and training for students interested in pursuing careers in high-demand industries and technical fields.”
Calling the act, “a well-engineered, bipartisan re-authorization aimed at permanently closing our nation’s skills gap,” Thompson said the bill will “work to restore rungs on the ladder of opportunity for every American regardless of age or background.”
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act provides federal support to state and local career and technical education programs.
Britney Milazzo: 814-231-4648, @M11azzo
According to a report from the House of Representatives, H.R. 2353 will improve career technical education policies to help more Americans gain knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the workforce, by:
▪ Delivering states more flexibility to use federal resources in response to changing education and economic needs;
▪ Ensuring career and technical education prepares all students for success in high-skill, high-wage occupations and careers in nontraditional fields;
▪ Improving 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 employable skills, work-based learning opportunities and more;
▪ Streamlining performance measures to ensure career and technical education programs deliver results for students and taxpayers;
▪ Reducing administrative burdens and simplifying the process for states to apply for federal resources;
▪ Rewarding success and innovation by directing federal resources to replicate promising practices that best serve students and employers;
▪ Providing parents, students and stakeholders a voice in setting performance goals and evaluating the effectiveness of state and local programs;
▪ Empowering state and local leaders to develop plans that improve the quality of CTE by taking into account unique local and state needs.
This story was originally published July 5, 2017 at 7:46 PM with the headline "U.S. House passes bill introduced by Rep. Thompson to help strengthen career technical education."