Oct 12, 2003 By Stephen Patchan 4 min read

In the past five years, more than 400,000 Pennsylvania students were enrolled in Career-Technical Education (CTE) courses funded through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act. The purpose of CTE is to help empower students to be effective participants in a global economy as world-class workers and citizens. Programs are designed to contribute to the broad educational achievement of students focusing on basic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics, as well as the students ability to think creatively, solve problems, utilize technology and work independently.

The Perkins Act this month comes before Congress for reauthorization. The Bush Administration is attempting to drastically reduce or eliminate funding and has produced a report stating that current career and technical programs are ineffective. They believe the Perkins funding should be redirected to student outcomes, such as academic achievement, that fall under the administration’s No Child Left Behind Act.

There are serious problems with this. First, there is a tremendous amount of data showing the effectiveness of career and technical education programs. Second, it disregards the national shortage of qualified and skilled workers needed for our country to be competitive in the global economy. Finally, the report completely ignores the needs of millions of students who now have a choice to prepare for careers that require technical training, as opposed to preparing for a traditional college education.

A 2002 report based on a four-year study conducted by the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education at the University of Minnesota and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, showed that a higher percentage of CTE students are more likely to hold permanent part-time jobs during high school than their peers enrolled in standard courses of study. It also showed that a higher percentage of CTE students pass college placement tests and take higher-level math courses. This study included information from eight other states, all reporting similar results.

This, and other reports tell us that quality career and technical education programs represent the essence of effective education: academic skills, technical skills, relevance and student participation. Why the Bush Administration has chosen to ignore the overwhelmingly positive research associated with CTE programs is difficult to understand, especially since much of it has been done with taxpayer money. Perhaps the results are not in line with the administration’s agenda.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor the skilled labor workforce is decreasing rapidly in United States. Many businesses that use skilled labor are complaining about the changing environment. U.S. companies are increasingly concerned about how they will survive when current skilled workers retire and are being replaced by new employees lacking prerequisite skills.

Employers need workers with solid academic foundations as well as advanced technical skills. With the economy struggling and unemployment rising, it is unfortunate that the current administration has chosen to abandon the very programs that can provide solution to our problems.

Transferring Perkins Act funds to the No Child Left Behind programs ignores the reality that many students perform better and stay in school when they believe their course work is relevant to their future endeavors.

The superintendents of our local school districts support the Fayette County Area Vocational Technical School.

Some students may not succeed without the opportunities offered in CTE programs. Students who are at risk of dropping out of school do better in a CTE program because it adds meaning to their education. They see significance in what they are learning as well as opportunities for well-paying jobs when they finish.

Students with special needs receive training and instruction that is vital to achieving independence as adults. They learn the skills that will allow them to be successful, productive citizens rather than dependent on others.

There are those who have no desire to spend four years in college. These students are interested in working in the trades and technical fields that require experience and specific training that will give them the necessary competence required for today’s high tech jobs. Every year, CTE programs give millions of students a chance to acquire a valuable and meaningful education. If the funding for these programs is eliminated, many of these students will in fact be left behind.

Stephen Patchan is representative of the instructional staff at the Fayette County Area Vocational-Technical School.