State Rep. Eric Leutheuser today celebrated the progress Michigan has made in preparing more students for success through career technical education programs.

The Michigan Department of Education recently announced the number of students completing career technical education (CTE) programs has increased by more than 75 percent in just four years – from 27,014 in the 2014-15 academic year to 47,314 in 2018-19.

More than 110,500 students were enrolled in CTE classes in 2018-19, representing nearly a quarter of Michigan students in 9^th to 12^th grades. More than 5,000 earned one or more college credits through a CTE course.

Leutheuser, of Hillsdale, said the Legislature’s support of career and technical education programs has helped with the extraordinary turnaround.

“There are thousands of good jobs available in Michigan right now and not enough trained individuals to fill them,” Leutheuser said. “That’s why the Legislature has implemented several reforms giving students more opportunities to acquire the skills they need to qualify for them. Recent legislation has opened doors to let businesses do what they do best – grow and hire. We are laying the groundwork for more young Michiganders to support themselves and their families well into the future.”

Leutheuser has supported CTE investments and improvements throughout his time in office. The state’s overall school aid fund has increased from $13.7 billion in 2016 to more than $15 billion in this budget year, with a heavier focus on CTE training.

Most recently, the Legislature approved increases in CTE funding to $50 per student and $16 million in equipment grants for CTE programs in the Fiscal Year 2020 state budget for a total of nearly $74 million in CTE investment. The Legislature previously approved $100 million for the Marshall Plan for Talent – a workforce development initiative. While Gov. Whitmer recently vetoed or redirected some of this funding, Leutheuser continues to advocate that the allocations be used for their intended purposes.

Recent reforms give schools and teachers more options. For example, some legislation required the Michigan Department of Education aid schools by adopting a career development model of instruction applicable to each grade level – elementary school, middle school and high school. Other measures signed into law allow time spent with local employers and technical centers to count toward teachers’ professional development requirements, and allow qualified and experienced individuals without state teaching certificates to teach CTE classes.

Leutheuser says he will continue to support legislation that supports CTE in local schools and promotes economic growth for employers.

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