Washington State participation in Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006

A multi-million dollar grant that helps educators better prepare students for the workplace through innovative teaching techniques and other strategies benefits Washington state high schools, community and technical colleges as a result of our state's participation in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.

In 2008, the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board received more than $24 million in federal Carl Perkins funding for the year and general approval of a five-year spending plan that can total more than $115 million. The annual federal funding spurs innovation in Washington high school classrooms where more than 240,000 students acquire knowledge and skills for use in the workplace and prepare for their next educational step. A portion of the Carl Perkins money also flows to the state’s 34 community and technical colleges.

Learn more here
Staff from the Workforce Board, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Office of the Superintendent Instruction traveled around the state during the fall of 2009 as part of a coordinated Perkins outreach effort. Here's a presentation they gave during statewide Perkins Technical Assistance Workshops.

Reauthorization
On August 12, 2006 the Federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 was signed into law by President Bush, bringing to a close a three-year reauthorization effort. The reauthorization underlines the ongoing congressional recognition of the important role career and technical education plays in providing youth and adults with the training necessary to obtain the skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform in high skills, high wage, high demand occupations.

To view the Act in its entirety go to:
http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS73839

For more information about the Workforce Board's role in the Perkins Act and our state's funding, contact Terri Colbert at tcolbert@wtb.wa.gov.