The Auto Care Association applauds Congress for passing H.R. 2353, the “Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act.” The bill reauthorizes the “Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act” and allocates $1.2 billion in state grants to fund vocational training at most schooling levels. With strong support from the Trump administration, the association expects that the president will sign this important legislation.
Under the legislation, high schools, colleges and training centers may apply for these grants in order to train teachers or fund specific training programs for students. Previously, these efforts were managed on the federal level by the Secretary of Education. This bill moves much of the decision-making and implementation to the local level to ensure that the funds are more effectively used, and that the training meets the needs of companies that are located near the schools and training centers. A state must track performance around core indicators, such as graduation rate, and make “meaningful progress” within a two-year period in order to continue to receive federal funding.
For more information about the Auto Care Association’s professional development resources and initiatives for the auto care industry, visitautocare.org/careers.
