Overview
Career and technical education (CTE) is an integrated approach to learning about occupational concepts, skilled trades, applied sciences, and modern technologies as well as their application in careers and in life. It emphasizes dynamic, hands-on, experiential learning across industry sectors, enabling students to creatively solve real-world problems through innovative design thinking. Skills developed through CTE prepare learners for success by providing authentic experiences relevant to 21st-century life and work.
Please send inquiries related to career and technical education (CTE) in Louisiana to [email protected].
CTE Funding
The Strengthening Career & Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV). The new act was signed into law on July 31, 2018, and became effective on July 1, 2019. The reauthorization process was mainly driven by a desire to ensure that students are prepared for 21st century careers. This framing led to a workforce development focus throughout the act, emphasizing encouraging and incentivizing innovation within career and technical education.
The purpose of the Perkins V Act is to fully develop the academic knowledge, technical skills, and employability of secondary and postsecondary education students who elect to enroll in CTE programs of study by:
- Building on the efforts of States and localities to develop challenging academic and technical standards and to assist students in meeting such standards, including preparation for high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand occupations in current or emerging professions
- Promoting the development of services and activities that integrate rigorous, challenging academic career and technical instruction that link to secondary and postsecondary education for participating CTE students
- Increasing State and local flexibility in providing services and activities designed to develop, implement, and improve career and technical education
- Conducting and disseminating national research and information on best practices that improve career and technical education programs of study, services, and activities
- Providing technical assistance that:
- promotes leadership, initial preparation, and professional development at the State and local levels
- improves the quality of Career and Technical Education teachers, faculty, administrators, and counselors
- Supporting partnerships among secondary schools, postsecondary institutions, CTE schools, local workforce investment boards, business and industry, and intermediaries.
- Providing individuals with opportunities to develop, in conjunction with other skills needed to keep the United States competitive; and
- Increasing the employment opportunities for populations who are chronically unemployed or underemployed, including individuals with disabilities, individuals from economically disadvantaged families, out-of-workforce individuals, youth who are in (or have aged out of) the foster care system, and homeless individuals
Perkins is dedicated to increasing learner access to high-quality CTE programs of study. With a focus on system alignment and program improvement, this law has been critical to ensuring programs meet the ever-changing needs of learners and employers.
LA Perkins V State Plan
With a lens focused on equal access, Louisiana is committed to providing rigorous education and training opportunities that lead to high-wage, in-demand, and high skill occupations in order to enhance the state and local economic competitiveness and productivity for all citizens.
Louisiana’s network of Career and Technical Education, through the effort of all core team members will:
- Support alignment of career and technical programs with workforce demands, and emerging and changing dynamics of the regional and local economy.
- Serve the needs of special populations, including but not limited to, nontraditional students, justice-involved, under-resourced, and priority populations, as defined in law, to support equal access in all Perkins Eligible CTE Programs of Study.
- Incorporate a continuum of work-based learning and workforce preparation opportunities in all Perkins Eligible CTE Programs of Study.
- Collaborate with stakeholders as identified in Perkins V to develop and enhance Perkins Eligible CTE Programs of Study, with clear transitions from secondary to postsecondary to sustainable employment.
- Support and expand Essential Employability Skills for workforce readiness.
- Support targeted, coordinated, and blended professional development for secondary, postsecondary, adult education and corrections instructors, support staff and leaders to provide access to relevant education and/or workplace training and credentialing.
To achieve these bold goals, the following strategies will be the cornerstone of the Perkins State Plan:
- Strong regional consortia based on regional labor market regions and grounded with effective and supported leadership and actively engaged participants advancing the economic interests of their students and their communities.
- High-quality Perkins Eligible CTE Programs of Study exist in every school, college and corrections facility that ensure students have a clear educational, training pathway program to a high-skill, high-wage, in-demand, or emerging occupation.
- Highly effective educators are developed through effective recruitment and retention strategies and through ongoing peer-to-peer collaboration, training, and professional development opportunities.
- Partnerships at the state and local level are leveraged to ensure all students and communities have access to a pathway toward economic self-sufficiency.
Louisiana receives a state allocation each year from the US Department of Education.
- 15% of the funds made available under the state allotment may be utilized for:
- State Administration (5%)
- State Leadership (10%)
- Non-traditional Training ($150K)
- Recruitment of Special Populations (0.1%)
- Institutional Set-aside (2%)
- Department of Corrections
- Office of Juvenile Justice
- Louisiana School for the Deaf and Visually Impaired
- 85% of the funds made available under the state allotment must flow to eligible recipients:
- 15 percent of the 85 percent will be placed in the Reserve Fund allocated to the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS)
- Of the remaining flow through funds,
- 44% of these flow-through funds will be allocated by the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) to eligible postsecondary recipients
- 56% of the funds will be allocated by the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) to eligible secondary recipients
LA CTE Data Profiles and Fact Sheets
Perkins V Postsecondary Data Profiles — Enrollment and Performance Indicators
- CTE Participants
- CTE Concentrators
- 1P1
- 2P1
- 3P1
- CTE Participants
- CTE Concentrators
- 1P1
- 2P1
- 3P1
- Baton Rouge Community College
- Bossier Parish Community College
- Central Louisiana Technical Community College
- Delgado Community College
- Elaine P. Nunez Community College
- L.E. Fletcher Technical Community College
- Louisiana Delta Community College
- Louisiana State University in Alexandria
- Louisiana State University in Eunice
- Louisiana Tech University
- Nicholls State University
- Northshore Technical Community College
- Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College
- Northwestern State University
- River Parishes Community College
- South Louisiana Community College
- Southern University at Shreveport
- SOWELA Technical Community College
Contact Us
To contact our team with any questions or comments and to subscribe to the CTE Monthly Newsletter, email [email protected].
Meet the LCTCS team
Dr. Brittney Williams
Director of Grants Administration
Martha Moore
Assistant Director, Career and Technical Education
Quentin Kelly
Career and Technical Education Coordinator
Email the team at: [email protected]
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