American Prosperity Relies on the Trades
On May 18, 1963, President John F. Kennedy spoke at Vanderbilt University about the responsibilities of educating our citizens. It is in this speech, President Kennedy established the foundation for what would become the Vocational Technical Act of 1963. This act, later renamed the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, continues to be a driving force in creating vocational technical opportunities for Americans today.
Efforts to improve vocational technical education in the United States did not begin with the Vocational Technical Act of 1963. Previous legislation, including the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917, the George-Barden Act of 1947, and the National Defense Education Act of 1958 all strived to improve vocational technical opportunities for Americans.
The Vocational Technical Act of 1963 was vastly different. Instead of concentrating on agriculturally-centered careers, it allocated Federal funds to provide vocational technical opportunities for in-demand careers. As a direct result, the pathway for vocational technical education (career and technical education "CTE") programs in high schools, trade schools, and community colleges, that we all benefit from today, was created.
When President Kennedy challenged us to better educate our citizens, an important piece of the puzzle was missing. Congressional leadership was required to take this concept and bring it to fruition, through meaningful legislation. The House Committee for Vocational Education, chaired Congressman Carl D. Perkins of Kentucky, was tasked with this challenge. Due in part to his dedication to vocational education, upon his death in 1984, the Vocational Technical Act was renamed the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act.
The purpose of sharing this video and commentary is to reinforce the importance of our vocational technical education programs. What was true fifty-seven years ago, remains true today! For America to continue to prosper, it must continue to support and invest in career and technical education.
“Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which fulfilled can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation. One person can make a difference and everyone should try.” President John F. Kennedy
“This country was built with the sweat and determination of hard-working men and women, who, like many of you, loved to work with their hands as well as their minds”. President Ronald Reagan (Watch Video)
Retired
4 年My apologies for not understanding the message In point, great speech by Kennedy though,
Retired
4 年All great things come to an end In a war, first was abraham lincoln, then came john fitzgerald kennedy, and then a generation latter. My generation was and is the Deliverer of nations out of the grasp of communist idealogy And war of conquest of our Nation our freedom loving nation THE UNITED STATES
Senior Advisor at HVAC Excellence
4 年The best way to forge ahead into the future is to have a good knowledge and understanding of the past. This article is an excellent snapshot in time of the history of Vocational & Technical Education. President Kennedy and President Reagan were both champions of technical education. One signed the Vocational Technical Act of 1963 and the other formed the commission that led to the publication of “A Nation at Risk”. What is interesting is that both presidents inspired and charged us with the responsibility to provide accessible quality education thereby making the USA a prosperous and strong country. They did not propose a government bureaucracy. This article reminds us that we the people are responsible for carving out the future. Thanks for this important tidbit of history.