This week in Washington was a quiet one for CTE-related policy items. Congress is in recess until next month, but the FY24 appropriations process will continue once lawmakers return during the first two weeks of September. There will be much appropriations work to be done when they return in order to avert a government shutdown before October 1. Lawmakers will either need to complete and pass all 12 appropriations bills before then, or pass a continuing resolution to extend government funding as they work to complete their funding bills. This will be a critical time for your advocacy as we work to share our message of support for the Senate’s FY24 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill and its higher funding levels for Perkins and education and workforce development programs! We will continue to share updates throughout August, and in the meantime, here are some news and notes:

• ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Members of Congress to Support the Senate’s FY 2024 Education Funding Bill: On July 27, the Senate Appropriations Committee considered and approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill on a bi-partisan basis, which contains a $40 million increase to the Perkins Basic State Grant program, and provides significantly more resources to education and workforce development programs than the House version of the bill CLICK HERE to urge your Members of Congress to support the Senate’s $40 million increase for Perkins and overall higher funding levels! 

• Senate FY24 Funding Thank-You: On August 4, ACTE and Advance CTE sent a letter to the leadership of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee thanking the committee for their proposed FY24 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill.

• Perkins V Turns Five: The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act was signed into law five years ago on July 31, amending the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and creating what we know as “Perkins V.” To celebrate the anniversary, we posted resources throughout the week on data sharing and analysis, middle grades and career development, stakeholder engagement, and the CLNA.

• Secretary Cardona Statement on New Chief of Staff for Department of Education (ED): Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued a statement on the new chief of staff for ED, Lexi Barrett, whose background includes time at Jobs for the Future.

• Secretary of Education and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) Visit Maryland CTE Programs: On August 2, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) visited Crossland High School in Temple Hills, Maryland. The Secretary and Rep. Ivey toured the school’s career pathways programs, spoke with students enrolled in apprenticeship programs and learned more about employer partnerships that connect students with good-paying jobs in their communities.

• White House Releases National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy: On July 31, the Administration released a new strategy to increase cyber education and skills training and place Americans into cyber-related jobs. The strategy seeks to equip every American with foundational cyber skills, transform cyber education, expand and enhance the national cyber workforce, and strengthen the federal cyber workforce.