As the nation grapples with how best to ward off unemployment, California and Nevada seem to be attacking the issue by throwing more financial support behind educational programs focused on occupational training.
The programs, referred to collectively as Career Technical Education (CTE), concentrate on preparing students for their potential careers by offering workplace-specific training — generally in a more hands-on environment.
California Gov. Jerry Brown’s recently released budget proposal for 2017-18 outlines two significant funding opportunities for technical training — the CTE Incentive Grant program (CTEIG) and Proposition 98 General Funds for the Strong Workforce Program.
CTEIG is the largest of its kind in the nation, providing capital to institutions across the state that help kindergarten through grade-12 students develop necessary skills for employment or postsecondary education. Since its initiation in the 2015 Budget Act, California has allocated approximately $900 million over a three-year period to the program. In the upcoming fiscal year, the state will invest $200 million in the CTEIG program for its final installment.
There have also been CTE developments on the higher education front, particularly in community colleges. In Nevada, Gov. Brian Sandoval has proposed appropriating $21.4 million to the state’s community colleges to expand CTE. Among the organizations receiving money as a part of the state initiative is Western Nevada College, which has been allocated $2 million in the 2017-18/2018-19 biennium to provide workforce development in fields such as advanced industrial technology and information technology.
California is making similar moves with vocational curriculum in community college systems, appropriating around $248 million to “more regionally aligned, career technical education and workforce development programs/courses” in 2017-18. The investment comes from the Proposition 98 General Fund to support the Strong Workforce Program, an effort that aims to bolster collaboration among investment boards, California community colleges, workforce programs and local education agencies.
While a lot remains to be seen with CTE, some lawmakers, such as Republican state Senate leader Jean Fuller and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, have been speaking out recently in support of the programs’ potential to help unemployment.
“I think this is something that Democrats and Republicans can really come together on to help build and sustain a middle class,” said de León at a Public Policy Institute of California meeting held last week. “I think strongly that in a bipartisan fashion, CTE in our community colleges will be one of the biggest economic drivers for the state of California.”
