How states are using ARRA money for CTE.

How states are using ARRA money for CTE. This year has been a very difficult one for the average Americanworker. Many of us have seen significant job losses in our communities,particularly in fields that appeared relatively stable a short time ago.There is no doubt that this past year has brought to light the need forskilled workers. To help prepare a skilled workforce, the ObamaAdministration and Congress have placed an emphasis on ensuring thatAmericans have access to education and training. In February 2009, Congress injected billions of dollars into theeconomy with the passage of the historic American Recovery andReinvestment Act (ARRA). This law is being used to help states andlocalities alleviate some of the financial burdens encountered in recentyears. The stimulus package included money for training and retrainingworkers so that they are equipped to be successful in a high-techworkplace. Some states are deciding to use their stimulus money to accommodatea surge in postsecondary enrollments, others are establishingapprenticeship programs or helping students experience firsthand thebroad array of lucrative careers available to them after theirschooling. Although how states choose to use their money may differ, allare developing programs that will benefit the entire community. Thisarticle highlights a few new programs that are using ARRA money in waysthat are innovative and creative, ensuring that youth and displacedworkers are learning new skills that can secure their place assuccessful employees in this rapidly evolving global economy. In the ARRA, approximately $3.95 billion was included for programsunder the Workforce Investment Act, including $1.2 billion for youthtraining programs. Many states are choosing to use that money for careerexploration initiatives. Missouri's Next-Generation Jobs Team andCalifornia's Green Jobs Corps are just two examples of how thismoney is being spent on 16- to 24-year-olds. What's Your State Doing with ARRA Funds? The types of programs listed above are happening all over thecountry in every state. To find out what your state is doing, visit yourstate's economic recovery Web site and see ACTE's Issue andAdvocacy Web page, where a special section is devoted to ARRA. If your state, community or school is using ARRA funds in acreative and innovative way, ACTE would like to know about it. Pleasecontact the Public Policy Department with details of how your program ishelping the economy to recover! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] California California has started a pilot program, California Green JobsCorps, which aims to place at least 1,000 youth into training forskilled jobs in eco-friendly industries. Similar to Missouri's TheNext-Generation Jobs Team, the Green Jobs Corps relies heavily onpublic-private partnerships to link youth to careers that will befruitful and secure in the future. Tennessee The lack of capacity for the growing enrollment in technical andcommunity colleges is a concern. Tennessee addresses this large surge byusing ARRA money to add more than 100 programs to its course listings.These programs will cover a broad array of CTE disciplines, includingwelding, plumbing, medical technology, nursing and solar panelinstallation. The additions of these courses are expected to accommodatemore than 4,000 additional students. Missouri Missouri's new summer job program, The Next-Generation JobsTeam, was established to help youth explore new high-tech, high-growthareas and make some extra money while doing it. The program connectsyouth to businesses in their communities, and covers many disciplinesranging from business management to green energy to health care. Becausethis program is being paid for by ARRA funds, there is no cost to thestudent or to the business. Jamie Baxter is ACTE's advocacy manager. She can be contactedat jbaxter@acteonline.org.