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In honor of Career and Technical Education Month, Jobs for the Future (JFF) proudly celebrates the achievements of career and technical education (CTE) programs across the country, as well as the dedicated communities of educators, policymakers, business leaders, students, parents, and other key players who make those programs successful. This #CTEMonth, we celebrate the growing ranks of quality CTE programs that provide students with rigorous academics, hands-on technical instruction, career navigational supports, and work-based learning experiences they need to thrive in today’s economy. As the deadline approaches for all states to update their federally mandated Perkins state plans, JFF challenges state policymakers to reimagine the role of CTE in strengthening college and career pathways for all students. We encourage states to define quality CTE, focus funding on innovations, and strengthen alignment across systems by taking actions that would serve as building blocks for what JFF calls the Big Blur. JFF’s vision for the Big Blur calls for erasing the arbitrary boundaries between high school, college, and careers to create one integrated system that puts all youth ages 16 to about 20 on a path toward attaining postsecondary credentials of value and preparing to enter careers that pay livable wages. Read our blog to learn the key actions that states can take to expand equitable access to quality CTE programs and build momentum toward our vision for the Big Blur.
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