Durbinn Leads Bipartisan Effort to Save Career and Technical Educaton Programs

DURBIN LEADS BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO SAVE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with 41 other senators from both political parties, today sent a letter to the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), urging the committee to oppose the President's proposal to eliminate the single largest federal investment in the nation's high schools, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education program.

"By the year 2010, 80 percent of all middle-class jobs will require high-school and college education and training," said Durbin. "The Perkins Career and Technical Education program provides exactly that type of training. Last year, nearly 600,000 Illinois students benefited from the Perkins program, but this year's budget makes deep cuts in education and eliminates this critical vocational education program. I look forward to working with my colleagues from both political parties in once again defeating the proposal to eliminate the Perkins program."

The Perkins Career and Technical Education program funds high-school and college based programs that teach students technical and workplace skills based on industry standards. This year, Perkins high-school based programs in Illinois provide 336,000 Illinois high school juniors and seniors with a competitive edge in pursuing college and career opportunities. Studies show that high school students who complete a rigorous academic education coupled with a career concentration have test scores that equal or exceed college prep students. These students are more likely to pursue college opportunities and have a higher grade point average in college and are less likely to drop out in the first year. College-based Perkins programs also helped approximately 260,000 Illinois students last year.

Durbin's letter was timed to coincide with the budget mark-up process which begins today. During the mark-up process, the Senate Budget Committee considers the President's proposed budget, makes changes and offers their own amendments. Similar efforts last year by Durbin and his colleagues, when the President's Fiscal Year 2006 budget also proposed to eliminate the Perkins program, helped preserve this critical vocational education program.

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=252372&&