Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act
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| Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act | |
|---|---|
| Name | Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act |
| Enacted by | United States Congress |
| Enacted | 2018 |
| Bill | H.R. 2353 |
| Signed by | Donald Trump |
| Public law | Pub.Law 115–224 |
| Related legislation | Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act |
Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act is a United States federal statute reauthorizing and revising the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act to modernize secondary and postsecondary career and technical pathways. The Act was passed by the 115th United States Congress and signed into law by Donald Trump in 2018, aiming to align federally supported programs with contemporary workforce needs across sectors such as advanced manufacturing, information technology, healthcare, and trades. It emphasizes accountability, work-based learning, industry partnerships, and alignment with state workforce strategies led by entities like State Workforce Agencies and regional collaboratives.
Background and legislative history
The law originated from bipartisan negotiations in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate during the 115th Congress, following prior reauthorizations of the Perkins Act (2006) and addressing calls from stakeholders including National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, Association for Career and Technical Education, and business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Sponsors in the House included Representative Glenn Thompson (Pennsylvania politician) and Representative Ruben Hinojosa, while Senate discussions involved members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Debates intersected with policy priorities from the Administration of Donald Trump and workforce initiatives promoted by the Department of Labor (United States) and the Department of Education (United States).
Key provisions
The Act revised performance accountability measures originally established under the Perkins Act (2006), mandated state plans, and introduced programmatic flexibility to promote career readiness in fields represented by organizations such as the National Skills Coalition, Manufacturing Institute, and National Governors Association. Major provisions include strengthened local needs assessments referencing regional entities like Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act local boards, support for work-based learning models including apprenticeships and internships, incentives for industry-recognized credentials (as with CompTIA and American Welding Society), and enhanced data reporting compatible with longitudinal systems used by Lumina Foundation initiatives and state longitudinal data systems. The law also preserved formula grant structures to states and set expectations for alignment with postsecondary partners such as community colleges including the American Association of Community Colleges.
Implementation and funding
Implementation responsibilities were distributed among the United States Department of Education, state education agencies, and local education agencies, with coordination encouraged with state workforce agencies and regional economic development entities like Economic Development Administration (United States). Funding continued through formula grants under the Perkins framework, reliant on appropriations from annual bills passed by the United States Congress and overseen by committees including the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The statute allowed states to set reserve fund allocations, allocate funds to eligible recipients such as local school districts and eligible postsecondary institutions including technical colleges, and utilize funds for professional development in partnership with organizations like the National Career Development Association.
Impact and evaluations
Early evaluations by think tanks and research centers—such as analyses from the Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, and American Institutes for Research—examined shifts in performance metrics, employer engagement, and credential attainment. Reports found variable impacts on enrollment in career pathways at institutions like community colleges and high school career academies modeled after Linked Learning partnerships. Outcome measures tracked included credential completion, placement in targeted industries (e.g., healthcare, information technology, manufacturing), and alignment with regional labor market demand collected by state labor statistics offices such as Bureau of Labor Statistics. Independent audits and Government Accountability Office reviews assessed state plan compliance and data quality, noting heterogeneity in state capacities and in adoption of industry-recognized credentialing frameworks.
State and local adoption
States responded with a range of approaches: some, guided by governors and state education chiefs from organizations like the Council of Chief State School Officers, integrated the law into comprehensive workforce development strategies in partnership with community colleges, career and technical student organizations such as SkillsUSA and Future Farmers of America, and regional workforce boards. Local education agencies altered program offerings to emphasize career pathways in sectors tied to regional economic clusters—examples included partnerships with employers such as Boeing in aerospace hubs, regional health systems like Kaiser Permanente in healthcare-focused programs, and information technology consortia in metropolitan areas such as Silicon Valley. Variation in state workforce alignment and fiscal capacity produced divergent programmatic outcomes.
Stakeholder responses and controversies
Reactions ranged from endorsements by business associations and labor unions—such as AFL–CIO engagement around apprenticeship expansion—to critiques from education advocates and civil rights groups concerning equity in access to high-quality career pathways. Debates surfaced over the emphasis on industry-recognized credentials versus broader academic preparation, with organizations including Education Trust and National Skills Coalition weighing in. Controversies also involved privacy and data-sharing standards tied to longitudinal data systems championed by groups like Data Quality Campaign, and tensions over federal oversight versus state flexibility discussed in hearings before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.