ACTE, Advance CTE Announce Senator Ted Budd as Senate CTE Caucus Co-Chair
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2023
Contact:
Jori Houck (ACTE) – jhouck@acteonline.org
Stacy Whitehouse (Advance CTE) – swhitehouse@careertech.org
ACTE, Advance CTE Announce Senator Ted Budd as Senate CTE Caucus Co-Chair
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and Advance CTE announced that Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) will become the next Republican Senate co-chair of the Congressional Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus. Senator Budd is taking the place of Senator Rob Portman, who served as a committed co-chair of the caucus for over a decade and retired at the end of the 117th Congress.
Senator Ted Budd represents North Carolina in the U.S. Senate. He was elected to the Senate in 2022. Previously, he represented North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District from 2017 to 2023 in the U.S. House of Representatives. In Congress, Senator Budd is a strong supporter of workforce development and expanding access to CTE programs. He is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
“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,” said Senator Ted Budd.
“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,” said ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Curry.
“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,” said Advance CTE Executive Director Kimberly Green.
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.
You can view the current Senate CTE Caucus roster here.
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About ACTE
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.
