ACTE

Building the Bridge Between Business, Industry and Education

To be successful in today's marketplace, business and industry must be profitable and have a workforce equipped with a full range of job and career skills. The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) can help your business achieve both these goals.

ACTE works to ensure that career and technical educators have the money they need to teach skills aligned with the 21st century economy, including purchasing up-to-date equipment, support services and instructional resources. This, combined with the professional-development opportunities ACTE offers, ensures that its members are delivering high-quality education that will result in a prepared, well-educated and adaptable workforce—a workforce that will continue to enhance and increase your business.

ACTE is looking for business leaders willing to work together to ensure a high-quality workforce and a growing economy. Please make the commitment to join.

How Does Career and Technical Education Meet Business and Industry Needs?

Career and technical education (CTE) is the only education delivery method that focuses on hands-on and contextual learning that will give business and industry a qualified and prepared workforce. The Carl D. Perkins Act sustains funding for CTE programs. Without this funding, many educators would not have access to the resources they need to align education with business and industry standards. A lack of funding translates into fewer students with vital employability skills necessary to enter and succeed in the workforce, which has a direct impact on your business.

• More than 90 percent of respondents in the 2005 Skills Gap Report indicated that they are experiencing a shortage of qualified skilled production employees. 
• CTE programs help prepare students for all 20 of the fastest-growing occupations identified in the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook and in all 14 job sectors identified by the Department of Labor's High Growth Job Training Initiative.
• According to the state of Washington, for every dollar spent on secondary CTE students, federal and state governments will receive seven dollars back in social security, Medicare and federal and state taxes.

CTE is crucial to ensuring that students have the necessary skills to compete in today's global economy.

Overview of Benefits

Advocacy
ACTE works tirelessly with education leaders and policymakers at the national level to ensure policies that affect CTE, including funding, are seen as a necessary part of developing a quality national workforce. Federal legislation for the Perkins program strives to support businesses like yours.  

In-depth Analysis
Over the last two years, ACTE has produced a number of Issue Briefs addressing CTE's impact on topics of interest to business and industry, including CTE's role in energy and environmental sustainability and dropout prevention.

Educational Influence
Being a part of ACTE and the CTE community puts you in touch with educators and allows you to begin the discussion on your workforce needs. Having this direct connection allows you to shape and influence education and training occurring in classrooms across the country.

Future Quality Workforce
Your active participation and support of ACTE and CTE will make a crucial difference at the most basic and critical level—the education of your future workforce. The simple fact is that CTE will keep U.S. business and industry competitive.

Industry Advisory Council
An open group of business and industry representatives whose core purpose is to facilitate a dialogue between the business and CTE communities to foster the growth of an educated, prepared, adaptable and competitive workforce.

There really is no price that can quantify these benefits, which makes it essential that you join and participate.

Return on Your Investment

Business and industry focus on the ROI no matter how large or small the investment. For an annual fee of $1,200, your business will receive:

• opportunities to interact with schools and educators training your future workforce
• a national platform to launch new strategies and initiatives
• the opportunity to re-shape society's view of work and jobs in the 21st century
• direct communication with CTE school and college administrators to promote industry skill standards
• a network of other organizations that share common concerns and staffing needs
• information you need to make essential and effective business decisions

To take advantage of this unique membership opportunity, complete the application and roster form. You can either e-mail them to Doris Guerdat or fax them to 703-683-7424.

ACTE dues are not deductible as a charitable contribution for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but may be deductible as a business expense.