Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) was named co-chair of the Congressional Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus by the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and Advance CTE. Senator Budd will serve alongside Sens. Todd Young (R-IN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).
Nearly 12 million students are enrolled in CTE programs across the country at the secondary and postsecondary levels, with CTE programs in thousands of CTE centers, comprehensive high schools, CTE high schools and nearly 1,000 2-year colleges.
The Congressional CTE Caucus serves to raise awareness of and support for the CTE community and lead on legislation related to these issues. Caucus members work to call attention to CTE as a proven method for promoting America’s continued economic growth and competitiveness while ensuring that all learners have the skills they need to succeed in a rewarding, family-sustaining career.
Sen. Budd said in a statement:
“I’d like to thank ACTE and Advance CTE for the honor of serving as the co-chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus. Throughout my time in office, I have consistently advocated for more educational options for students, with a special focus on CTE programs. We need to push back against the ‘bachelors or bust’, one-size-fits-all mentality that dominates discussions about a child’s future. Education is a deeply personal choice for families, and there are several pathways to career success. I see our job as expanding the number of those pathways so students have as many educational options as possible to choose from. That’s what I’ll be focusing on as co-chair.”
ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Curry said:
“On behalf of ACTE members and the career and technical education (CTE) community, I am pleased to welcome Senator Ted Budd as a new co-chair of the Senate CTE Caucus. The Senate CTE Caucus is a group of senators dedicated to creating and advancing legislation in support of CTE, and it is exciting to welcome another strong advocate for CTE. Nationwide, expanding access to CTE programs and workforce development opportunities for all learners remains a shared mission for our members, and we are thrilled to begin working with Senator Budd to continue this work. We look forward to a strong and fruitful relationship to promote high-quality CTE.”
Advance CTE Executive Director Kimberly Green said:
“The Senate CTE Caucus raises awareness among federal policymakers of the breadth and impact of Career Technical Education and lifts up how CTE is critical to national education, workforce and economic priorities. We welcome Senator Budd to the Senate CTE Caucus leadership team and look forward to working together to advance policies that empower both state leaders and learners to achieve success through accessible, high-quality CTE.”
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