U.S. House passes ICC-supported Perkins Act reauthorization

The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act has been a crucial source of federal funds for career and technical education. Last week, the House of Representatives reauthorized that funding through Fiscal Year 2022, providing security and stability for schools specializing in high school education that prepares students for entering the workforce as skilled as possible.

“ICC has long been a supporter of technical high schools and the work that they do in making America’s students talented and competitive,” said ICC Government Relations Senior Vice President Sara Yerkes. “When we saw that the Perkins Act was up for reauthorization, we took initiative in contacting members of Congress and urging them to back the bill, which they did in overwhelming fashion.”

The bill’s passage could provide a boost for technical schools wishing to use ICC’s High School Technical Training Program (HSTTP), as it provides a low-cost, plug-and-play curriculum into building trade programs at technical schools around the country. The bill specifically incentivizes programs that lead to the attainment of “recognized postsecondary credentials”, which includes ICC certifications that students are primed to take after completing the course of study.

“Reauthorizing the Perkins Act is a win for everyone,” Yerkes explained. “It’s a win for the students, who will be better prepared for careers in skilled trades; it’s a win for the schools, which get to offer better programs and retain the best instructors; it’s a win for ICC, as the importance building codes will continue to be taught alongside the trades they cover; and it’s a win for the American people, as their tax dollars go towards funding a program that, in the long run, boosts the competitiveness of the American economy and makes a more resilient America.”