About Perkins

On July 31, 2018, the President signed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act into law. This bill reauthorizes the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins) and will be referred to as Perkins V.

Perkins is a federal education program that invests in secondary and postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in all 50 states and the territories.

Perkins is dedicated to increasing learner access to high-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs of study. With a focus on systems alignment and program improvement, Perkins is critical to ensuring that programs are prepared to meet the ever-changing needs of learners and employers.
Perkins affords states and local communities the opportunity to implement a vision for CTE that uniquely supports the range of educational needs of students — exploration through career preparation — and balances those student needs with the current and emerging needs of the economy.

Learners: Approximately 8 million secondary learners and 4 million postsecondary learners are enrolled in CTE programs nationwide.
Employers: Nearly 60 percent of companies report having difficulty filling job openings because of a lack of qualified applicants. This can cost a company upwards of $800,000 each year in lost productivity and recruitment. CTE programs are responsive to current and emerging labor market demands.
Communities: A community with skilled workforce leads to a strong economy. For example, Washington has found a return of $7 for every dollar invested in CTE at the high school level, while taxpayers in Wisconsin see a return of $12.20 for every dollars invested in its technical college system.