U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., joined Tim Kaine, D-Va.; Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; and Todd Young, R-Ind., to introduce the CTE Excellence and Equity Act, which aims to redesign high school programs to include courses more relevant to the 21st century workforce.
The goal is to prepare students for better careers and would amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, which increased the focus on academic achievement of career and technical education students, according to a press release from Capito’s office.
The CTE Excellence and Equity Act would provide federal funding for partnerships between school districts, employers, and institutions of higher education in West Virginia and other states that integrate high-quality career and technical education (CTE) programs into high schools.
These partnerships would help students earn industry-recognized credentials or credit toward a postsecondary degree or certificate. According to the nonpartisan organization Achieve, nearly 80 percent of college instructors and 60 percent of employers indicate that public high schools fall short in preparing students for postsecondary education.
“As West Virginia undergoes an economic transition and grapples with high unemployment, it is critical that we take steps to equip our workforce with the right skills for today’s jobs. I’m pleased to join with my colleagues to introduce the CTE Excellence and Equity Act, which supports necessary partnerships between higher education and employers and will improve career and technical training in our high schools,” Capito said.
The CTE Excellence and Equity Act would provide federal funding through a competitive grant program to redesign the high school experience for students as schools develop curriculum, assess student performance and teach workplace skills through job shadowing, internships and apprenticeships.
“This bipartisan legislation works to address the growing gap between the traditional high school experience and the expectations of higher education and employers by connecting business, school districts, colleges, and others with a stake in the quality of the nation’s high school graduates,” said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education. “It also provides students with an opportunity to learn by doing, making the high school experience more engaging and more relevant to today’s job market while setting students up for individual success—a key component to the nation’s economic growth.”