The Association for Career and Technical Education is the largest national education association dedicated to the advancement of workforce education. Its mission is to provide educational leadership in developing a competitive workforce. This mission is carried out through four activities:
- Professional Development-Encouraging career development, professional involvement and leadership among members.
- Program Improvement--Fostering excellence in academic vocational-technical education.
- Policy Development--Advocating national public policy to benefit workforce education.
- Marketing--Marketing workforce education programs and products.
The association's national headquarters is based in Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Association policy is set up by a 21-member elected Board of Directors, including a President, Past President and President-Elect and 18 vice presidents representing the association's 13 divisions and five geographic regions. A 40-member staff manages day-to-day operations of the association.
The association's 35,000+ members include teachers, educational administrators, teacher educators, counselors, business and industry partners, students and others with an interest in workforce education.
The association carries out a diverse array of programs including the nation's largest convention for educators and employers involved in workforce education, held annually in early December. It also sponsors workshops on critical issues at locations across the country. ACTE maintains a strong presence on Capitol Hill. The association testifies frequently on behalf of workforce education, school-to-work initiatives and the integration of vocational technical and core academic education. Through an active legislative network, it presents the views of workforce education professionals to policymakers. The association's award-winning publications include: Techniques magazine, which covers key concerns in workforce education and business/industry trends affecting education, and Career Tech Update, a twice-monthly newsletter which focuses on school-to-work and tech prep programs, news about workforce education, and analysis of federal legislation. ACTE produces a wide array of professional publications, videos, and promotional materials for marketing workforce education and also makes available products produced by other publishers through its extensive Professional Resources catalog.
ACTE is actively involved with a large number of other professional organizations including state vocational associations in every state, vocational student organizations and other professional associations representing various components of the field. It works very closely with other education and trade associations that share an interest in the advancement of workforce education.
For media inquiries, contact Sabrina Kidwai, Media Relations Manager at Phone: 703-683-9312 or E-mail to: skidwai@acteonline.org.
