Burr Applauds Congress for Passing the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act

Burr Applauds Congress for Passing the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act
Legislation improves and strengthens career and technical education programs

Today Senator Burr applauded Congress for passing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (Perkins). The Perkins reauthorization seeks to improve and strengthen the academic and career and technical skills of high school and postsecondary students enrolled in career and technical education programs. This legislation reauthorizes the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act through 2012. It was last reauthorized in 1998.

"I applaud Congress for working together to reauthorize this important piece of legislation," said Senator Burr. "The Perkins reauthorization bill will strengthen North Carolina's career and technical education programs which will create a more highly skilled workforce for our state."

Senator Burr was part of the committee that worked to resolve the differences between the reauthorization legislation passed by the Senate and the House. The Senate voted for the legislation Wednesday evening and the House approved the legislation early Saturday morning. The bill now awaits the President's signature to be signed into law.

The Perkins legislation aims to: build on the efforts of States and localities to develop challenging academic and technical standards; promote the development of services and activities that integrate challenging academic and career and technical instruction, and that link secondary and postsecondary education for participating career and technical education students; increase State and local flexibility in providing services and activities designed to develop, implement, and improve career and technical education; conduct and disseminate information on best practices; promote leadership, comprehensive initial training and professional development for career and technical education teachers, faculty, principals, administrators and counselors; provide technical assistance that will improve career and technical education programs, services, and activities; support partnerships among secondary schools, postsecondary institutions, area career technical centers, business and industry, professional associations, and intermediaries; and develop a highly skilled workforce needed to keep America competitive in the global economy in conjunction with other Federal education and training programs, including workforce investment programs, that provide lifelong learning for the workforce of today and tomorrow.

http://burr.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=242&Month=7&Year=2006