Department of Education approves Florida plan to strengthen career and technical education

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Friday the Department of Education approved Florida’s plan to strengthen career and technical education opportunities.

The plan calls for expanded apprenticeship training opportunities and career readiness for students and working adults, funding for professional development intended to bolster teaching practices, and career and technical education plans are geared toward labor market demands and emerging fields.

“Thanks to the President’s leadership, the new career and technical education law gives local leaders the flexibility to make investments in the highest impact areas of local need,” DeVos said. “We know many well-paying, in-demand jobs require CTE training but not necessarily a college degree and the associated debt. The coronavirus pandemic has certainly highlighted the need for all education to be tailored to meet each student’s unique needs, more nimble, and relevant to 21st century realities. High-quality CTE programs are a critical way to help learners of all ages and get our economy back up and running at full speed.”

Florida’s plan was birthed out of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21^st Century Act. President Donald Trump signed the act into law on July 31, 2018.

Also known as Perkins V, the act is designed to support state efforts to broaden access to educational opportunities for all students.

Perkins V called for states to draft a plan to offer students diverse career and technical education programs.

Perkins V is a reauthorization of Perkins IV and provides roughly $1.3 million annually to CTE education for adults and youth.

Florida joins Colorado, Kentucky, New York, South Carolina and Utah as the most recent states to receive the Secretary’s blessing; 31 states to date have had CTE plans approved.

According to Forbes, total student loan debt in the United States is more than $1.5 trillion.

Moreover, the average student loan debt is $32,731 and the average student loan payment is $393.

The student loan delinquency or default rate beyond 90 days is 10.8%.