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First, the good news. Thirteen members of the House of Representatives are co-sponsoring a bi-partisan reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Act, the main source of funding to the states for career and technical education. Members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce introduced the bill, Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, at the end of June.
Introduction of the Act in the House Committee on Education & the Workforce is viewed as a positive step for the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association (PHCC), which has been advocating for increased support from Congress on crucial workforce development initiatives.
PHCC members lobbied vigorously this past spring at two events on Capitol Hill, the first being a special Workforce Development Roundtable in April. I attended the annual PHCC Legislative Conference in May, where the politically active contractors met face-to-face with members of Congress and their staffs about the critical workforce shortage in the p-h-c industry. Too many people in our industry are soon-to-retire Baby Boomers, and the industry will need 21 percent more plumbing and HVAC technicians by 2022.
The Act has many good things in it, such as taking away some authority from the Secretary of Education and giving it to the states, and requiring input from employers at the local level about what kind of curriculum they need for prospective employees.
The committee sent out a press release heralding the introduction of the Act, and several members of Congress suffered muscle pulls patting themselves in the back.
The Act has many good things in it, such as taking away some authority from the Secretary of Education and giving it to the states.
It’s about time that this do-nothing Congress got off its duff to do something to help contractors and other employers find trained workers and to help students become contributing members of society. The Perkins Act was first passed as the Vocational Education Act of 1984 during the Reagan Administration. The current version was passed in 2006 and expired in 2012. It’s been reauthorized annually, but in limbo for four years.
At the recent PHCC Legislative Conference, members of Congress commiserated with the contractors about the shortage of skilled plumbers and service technicians and the need for a trained workforce; but empathy only goes so far. They just weren’t willing to spend any money on it.
So it’s a good thing that the House is appropriating $1,133,002,074 for fiscal year 2017; $1,148,618,465 for fiscal 2018; $1,164,450,099 for fiscal 2019; $1,180,499,945 for 2020; $1,196,771,008 for 2021; and $1,213,266,339 for 2022.
That’s a nice start. The dollars figures actually increase year over year. I’m still not excited, though.
When this current reauthorization of the Perkins Act expires in 2022, the amount of money appropriated by Congress will still be less than what it was 20 years earlier.
According to data from the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium, the heyday of the Perkins Act was in 2004. Federal appropriations for career and technical education were $1.3 billion in 2002; $1.311 billion in 2003; $1.313 billion in 2004, and $1.311 billion in 2005. The total fell below $1.3 billion in 2006 and it’s been declining ever since. In 2015, the total was $1.125 billion.
When this current reauthorization of the Perkins Act expires in 2022, the amount of money appropriated by Congress will still be less than what it was 20 years earlier. It’s clear that appealing to Congress isn’t going to be the answer. We’ll have to do it ourselves. Local association chapters are a good place to start. You need a training room — it could be in your office, at your local association offices or at a community college. You need instructors and equipment. Manufacturers are dedicated to training; they will donate equipment if you ask them nicely, and they’ll probably help you find instructors.
Bootstraps.
Robert P. Mader
Bob Mader is the Editorial Director for Penton's mechanical systems brands, including CONTRACTOR magazine, Contracting Business and HPAC Engineering, all of which are part of Penton’s Energy and Buildings Group. He has been with CONTRACTOR since 1984 and with Penton since 2001. His passions are helping contractors improve their businesses, saving energy and the issue of safeguarding our drinking water. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame with an A.B. in American Studies with a Communications Concentration.