AGC Urges Congress to Close the Skills Gap

AGC, along with a coalition of stakeholders, is urging Congress to reauthorize and reform the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) through a multi-industry letter. Perkins is an existing program that helps students prepare for secondary and postsecondary education by providing access to federal dollars to offset the cost of career and technical education (CTE) programs.
The reforms being advocated to Perkins include: aligning CTE programs to the needs of the regional, state, and local labor market; supporting effective and meaningful collaboration between secondary and postsecondary institutions and employers; increasing student participation in experiential learning opportunities such as industry internships, apprenticeships and mentorships; and promoting the use of industry-recognized credentials. Additionally, the letter highlights recent funding cuts to CTE programs and calls on Congress to make adequate investment in these crucial programs.
In 2016 legislation passed the U.S. House overwhelmingly and included many reforms being sought by AGC but was never considered by the Senate.

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