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The report examines how Perkins V influences the experiences of Black learners in CTE programs and offers legislative proposals as Congress considers reauthorization of the act, which committed $1.2 billion in annual funding to CTE programs when it was enacted in 2018 but expired in 2024.
Roughly 12 million students participate in CTE programs nationally at high schools, community colleges, and technical colleges, with Black students making up 13 percent of national secondary enrollment in the 2022-23 academic year.
However, Black students are overrepresented in service-oriented fields and have less access to programs in STEM and IT, according to the report. On average, Black CTE students earn more than $8,200 less than their white peers with similar credentials and are less likely to enroll in postsecondary programs after high school compared to all other races.
"Earlier this year, the administration moved the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor. This raises real concerns for the program's effectiveness and the efficiency of support services for state administrators," said co-author Dr. Kayla Elliott, the Joint Center's Workforce Policy Director. Some states have already reported waiting months for their Perkins funding with little communication or support from the administration.
The timing of the administrative transfer has added complexity to an already challenging reauthorization process. Last month, the administration started moving even more responsibilities and programs away from the Department of Education to the Departments of Labor, Interior, State, and Health and Human Services.
Joint Center President Dedrick Asante-Muhammad noted the stakes.
"Research shows that Black students are often underrepresented in high-wage fields," he said. "And compared to their white peers, Black students enrolled in these programs are more likely to enter careers with lower earnings and face a reduced likelihood of transferring, completing a degree or a credential, or securing a job related to their program."
He added that these disparities represent major barriers to increasing the earning potential of Black workers and narrowing the racial wealth divide.
The report bases its findings on 21 interviews with CTE experts, including current and former CTE students, state directors, association staff, career and technical student organization staff, state and federal advocacy organizations, workforce development boards and organizations, training providers, and researchers from academia and national think tanks.
The Joint Center offers five policy recommendations for the reauthorization:
First, increase funding in the next reauthorization of the Perkins Act. Second, improve CTE teacher recruitment, development, compensation, and retention. Third, support the coordination and alignment of education and workforce development activities. Fourth, reinvigorate the narratives about CTE pathways. And fifth, improve standards for the collection, quality, and reporting of CTE data.
The report notes that Perkins reauthorization represents "an opportunity to break a cycle of occupational segregation that dates back over a century—when southern states used vocational tracking to limit Black students' career options and reinforce racial hierarchies."
While funding for Perkins V remains stable for the 2025-26 school year, Congress and the Department of Education cut funding from teacher professional development, after-school enrichment, and career exploration in the continuing resolution passed earlier this year, making reauthorization funding for Perkins V activities unclear.
