JFF commends both the House and Senate education
committees for their efforts to update the Perkins Act, recognizing that young
people and adults face a job market that is significantly different than it was
in 2006. JFF also recognizes that high-quality, industry-aligned CTE programs can
benefit all students—both those looking for cost-effective paths to obtain the knowledge,
skills, and credentials needed to start a career and those looking to get a
head start in higher education.
While neither
the House nor the Senate bills make revolutionary changes to the CTE program,
they both make improvements that JFF supports. Both bills encourage the
development of high-quality programs of study; emphasize the importance of
work-based learning; encourage the expansion of dual enrollment and early
college high school opportunities; require that CTE programs align with the
skill needs of employers in in-demand industries and occupations; focus on the
importance of developing transferable job skills; and better align CTE with
innovations and programs established in the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Next, the bill
must be considered by the full Senate. After that, the differences in the
House and Senate versions must be reconciled before a final version goes for a
vote in both houses and is then signed into law by the president. There
are still plenty of potential pitfalls to get to a new CTE law, but JFF is
optimistic that it could happen this year.
As the process for reauthorization moves ahead, JFF looks
forward to working with Congress to ensure the final bill makes a top priority of
providing high-quality, in-demand programs of study that provide pathways into
college and careers. The bill that ultimately replaces the Perkins Act must
ensure that students not only develop skills for in-demand industries, but that they
also develop the skills necessary to adapt to an ever-changing economy.
