Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act
The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act was first authorized by the federal government in 1984 and reauthorized in 1998, 2006 and 2018. Named for Carl D. Perkins, the act aims to increase the quality of technical education within the United States in order to help the economy.
On July 31, 2018, President Donald Trump signed into law the re-authorization of the Act of 2006. The new law, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, was passed almost unanimously by Congress.
The latest re-authorization includes three major areas of revision:
- Using the term "career and technical education" instead of "vocational education"
- Maintaining the Tech Prep program as a separate federal funding stream within the legislation
- Maintaining state administrative funding at 5 percent of a state’s allocation
The new law also includes new requirements for “programs of study” that link academic and technical content across secondary and post-secondary education, and strengthened local accountability provisions that will ensure continuous program improvement.
The Perkins Act provides $1.2 billion in federal support for career and technical education programs in all 50 States, including support for integrated career pathways programs. The law was extended through 2024.
