In the last couple of years, as conversations have focused on how to connect education and work, state lawmakers have increasingly considered the opportunities to do so within career and technical education. In the 2021 legislative sessions, lawmakers in 46 states introduced at least 315 bills concerning CTE, and many prioritized:
- Experiential and work-based learning opportunities.
- Funding for CTE programming.
- Increasing student awareness of CTE offerings.
- A focus on cross-agency collaboration and industry involvement.
This Policy Snapshot includes details from eight legislative examples, in addition to providing a list of legislation enacted this year in each state for your reference.
For a state-by-state breakdown of policies and activities related to CTE, see our 50-State Comparison on Secondary Career and Technical Education and this three-part blog series that explores key takeaways in depth.
