U.S. Department of Education Reduces Burden on Career and Technical Education Programs

U.S. Department of Education

February 10, 2025

Press Release

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced the reversal of a misguided regulatory reporting scheme put in place by the Biden-Harris Administration that would require states and the local career and technical education (CTE) programs across the country to comply with burdensome and unnecessary reporting.

The last-minute Biden-era information collection under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins V) would have piled on thousands of hours in additional reporting compliance requirements on states, high schools, and community colleges that can be better spent on equipping the American workforce with the skills necessary to rebuild our economy.

“The Trump Education Department is committed to strengthening our career and technical workforce and equipping students with the tools they need to excel,” said Acting Under Secretary James Bergeron. “The 11th hour Biden-Harris information collection on CTE programs was unnecessary bureaucratic red tape that would only drive up costs and hinder innovation. As we celebrate CTE month, the Department looks forward to working through a more thoughtful and cooperative process with states, local CTE programs, employers, stakeholders, and Congress to reauthorize the Perkins Act.”

 Many groups voiced concerns with the reporting scheme including Advance CTE and the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) in a letter to the Department on January 24, stating, “Our organizations, along with a number of states and other entities, including policymakers, have consistently raised significant concerns about these proposals since they were first unveiled last fall. These efforts are regulatory in nature, mandating specific data collection approaches and related reporting methods that go far beyond the statutory requirements and intent of Perkins V, and do not help states or local programs create additional benefit or value for learners.”

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