As federal policymakers grapple with the challenge of reopening schools and getting the economy back on track while laying the foundation for a more equitable future, they are recognizing that career and technical education (CTE) programs could play key roles in the long-term effort to build a talented workforce.
Support for CTE is growing on both sides of the aisle in Congress, and in the Biden administration. In February, the co-chairs of the Congressional CTE Caucus—Representatives Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn Thompson (R-PA)—introduced a resolution to formally recognize February as National CTE Month. And at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, Miguel Cardona, who’s now secretary of education, joined senators in praising CTE programming, and he pledged to work to ensure that all students have access to college and career pathways when they graduate from high school.
The question now is, how do federal policymakers build on that momentum and harness the potential of CTE to drive innovation in education, improve outcomes, and strengthen workforce connections?
JFF urges the Biden administration and Congress to think boldly about CTE to ensure that it contributes to an equitable economic recovery and becomes an integral component of programs that meet the needs of today’s learners, workers, and businesses.
We’ve identified three strategies Congress and the administration should pursue right away to achieve those goals: Use the bully pulpit, work across silos, and create a new innovation grant that significantly increases funding for secondary and postsecondary CTE programs. Here’s a look at each one of those strategies in more detail.