This week has been relatively quiet, the Senate is in recess until April 24 and the House is out through April 25. However, Career Technical Education (CTE) is still making a buzz across the country, with current Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and former Education Secretary Arne Duncan discussing CTE.
Secretary DeVos Signals Support for CTE
On April 11, Secretary DeVos delivered a statement after participating in the President’s Strategy and Policy Forum. The highlight of these remarks was her recognition of CTE, “The best workforce is an educated workforce, and this Administration is committed to increasing access to career and technical education for college students and adults alike. By encouraging public-private partnerships, we can help connect students with prospective employers and provide those students with the necessary skills to find a good-paying job in their communities.” Find the full statement here.
Arne Duncan Shines Light on Chicago CTE Programs
In an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune on April 11, former Education Secretary Arne Duncan highlights local CTE programs writing, “Today, we have career and technical education programs like the Manufacturing Connect program at Austin College and Career Academy on the West Side of Chicago that trains students in advanced manufacturing. They get paid work experience while still in high school and have jobs paying as much as $30,000 a year waiting when they graduate — a good wage for a young person coming out of high school” and goes on to describe how these programs help students plan for their futures.
Kathryn Zekus, Senior Associate, Federal Policy