Competitive Grants for Career and Technical Education

While the grants are similar to past Race to the Top and Investing in Education programs, these new monies will be provided by and managed by the Department of Labor. By collaborating with local universities and businesses, high schools can compete for grants between $2 million and $7 million each. With 25-40 available grants, winning schools will need to obtain private matching funds for at least 25 percent of their grant totals. The Department of Labor plans on choosing the winners early in 2014 so that the grants can be used during the 2014-15 academic year.

President Obama had mentioned the possibility of this program during his State of the Union speech last February. While the grant monies are highly desirable with the new Common Core Standards, the grant writing process will be strenuous. Schools need to partner with a university, workplace and several other institutions just to be eligible. Originally, the program was to be for $300 million and managed by the Department of Education. Given the current economic climate, the Department of Education simply did not have the available funds but fortunately, the Department of Labor stepped in.

According to the White House, the “Youth Career Connect Grants” were created because in order “to compete in today’s global economy, America’s students need deep knowledge and skills that will prepare them for college and the jobs of the future. Yet far too many of America’s students are not meaningfully engaged or motivated in their academic experience while in high school. Many high school graduates have trouble seeing the connection between their work in school to college and careers—especially in the critically important fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Moreover, many of America’s international competitors offer students a more rigorous and relevant education in their middle and high school years.” In order to compete globally, students need to focus on critical thinking skills, be able to seriously analyze and solve complex problems, work collaboratively with others and utilize current technology efficiently. The building of these essential skills requires hands-on work both in and out of the classroom.

Schools that are interested in being grant recipients must focus their efforts in five key areas: “Integrated Academic and Career-Focused Learning,” “Work-Based Learning and Exposure to the World of Work,” “Robust Employer Engagement,” “Individualized Career and Academic Counseling” and “Integration of Post-Secondary Education and Training.” Schools must offer real work and job exploration experiences, as well as the individual support that students need to be successful. Individual support may include mentoring, counseling and opportunities to obtain career certifications that can be used beyond high school.

In addition to high schools, the grants will also be rewarded to eligible workforce institutions, other academic entities and nonprofit groups. The grants can fund single or multiple organization projects. The grants also support the reauthorized Perkins Career and Technical Education Act that aims at funding enriching career and technical education programs for students who either go straight to the workforce after graduation or pursue college educations. The new grant program also aligns well with the Obama administration’s support of STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in all schools, grades K-12. Interested schools can go directly to the Department of Labor website, where they will find the grant applications and other related resources.

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