Business and industry leaders have an essential role to play in the design and delivery of high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. They bring unique perspectives on the foundational competencies and qualifications for entry-level work in their respective industries and can provide input into the design of programs of study,…

Student career development is an important element of a high-quality career and technical education (CTE) program. Students enrolled in programs with high-quality career development activities are able to identify a personalized career plan related to their strengths, interests and abilities, and are informed about post high school education and…

Community colleges play a critical role in helping people connect to careers in the United States. After the Great Recession, community colleges emerged as the workforce and economic development institution that could fill the gaps left by traditional higher education for shorter, non-degree career education while also meeting the needs of local…

In an economy recovering from the pandemic, record unemployment is not solely due to a lack of jobs, instead, U.S. employers are in the midst of dealing with a so-called "skills gap." While most economists report that there is a large pool of potential workers to fill the estimated more than 7.2 million job openings, employers have found…

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices has assisted 23 states and territories in their efforts to scale high-quality work-based learning programs since 2016. Rhode Island has been engaged with the Policy Academy on Scaling Work-Based Learning since 2017 -- the same year that state policymakers launched an initiative aimed at…

On July 31, 2018, President Trump signed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) into law. The law reauthorizes and updates the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) to ensure career and technical education (CTE) programs meet the demands of the twenty-first-century…

This toolkit that can empower state leaders to transform their vocational-technical schools for the better. It builds on "Hands-On Achievement," a book detailing the Massachusetts model that Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research published earlier in 2022. The toolkit describes three keys to success, provides a brief history of…

This fact sheet discusses how Perkins V includes several provisions that support the implementation of Linked Learning and other high-quality college and career pathways initiatives. Linked Learning is an approach to high school redesign that combines (1) rigorous academics; (2) high-quality career and technical education (CTE); (3) work-based…

In summer 2018, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) was signed into law, which provided states the opportunity to reflect, engage with a wide array of stakeholders and partners, reaffirm key priorities and commitments, and identify new opportunities to support learners and their industry partners.…