CTE State Grants

What this funds

The Budget requests funding for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Grants program at ETA instead of the Department of Education (ED), positioning DOL as the lead agency overseeing work to prepare Americans for high-paying skilled jobs and build pipelines of skilled talent for employers in critical industries. DOL can now operate a seamless workforce development system that includes programs formerly housed at the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) at the Department of Education (ED). This eases the administrative burden on States by reducing and aligning reporting requirements, enabling them to focus more on helping Americans go to work. The CTE State Grants program is authorized by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended (Perkins V). The program assists States and Outlying Areas in expanding and improving career and technical education at high schools, technical schools, and community colleges. Funds are allocated through a formula to States, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; Pacific territories receive funding through a set-aside. Perkins V has two additional set asides from the total appropriation for State Grants for federally recognized Indian tribes and Tribal organizations and competitive grants to organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians.0F1 Administering CTE State Grants at ETA better centralizes Federal workforce development investments under ETA, thereby reducing regulatory and administrative burdens on States. This initiative builds on the success of the Workforce Development Partnership between ED and ETA that began in FY 2025 to integrate the Federal Government's workforce development portfolio. The partnership quickly reduced duplication and increased efficiency by coordinating technical assistance, monitoring, and State planning, thereby demonstrating that DOL is best positioned to 1 On December 2, 2025, the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice issued a memo to the acting general counsel at the Department of Education that concluded that the race-based eligibility criteria of the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program are unconstitutional and inseverable. DOL recognizes that Perkins V authorizes grants under these programs and that this program is authorized by Congress. In order to survive strict scrutiny under established Supreme Court precedent, these programs would need to serve a compelling interest and be narrowly tailored, or necessary, to achieve that interest. DOL invites Congress to assess whether these programs, in light of established Supreme Court precedent, can survive strict scrutiny. TES - 21 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION - STATE GRANTS meet the needs of American students and workers. Administering programs funded under Perkins V at DOL will create a stronger talent pipeline for the Nation's workforce, give States a central point of contract in the Federal government, and reduce duplication of effort and conflicting agency directives.

Extracted from Employment and Training Administration, p. 12. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

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