High unemployment at 6.4 percent for Hawaii and 8.3 percent nationally as of July 2012 remains a major concern and a persistent drag on the economy. There are jobs available in existing and emerging career fields, but only for those who have the skills and training necessary to fill those positions.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that even though 12.5 million Americans are searching for work, there are 3.5 million jobs that remain unfilled, largely due to a lack of skilled workers. This "skills gap" is a major problem for employers who need to hire workers to fill critical positions, and it is a major obstacle for millions of unemployed Americans who need to find work.

Career and technical education (CTE) is meeting these challenges in Hawaii and across the nation by preparing students to work in today’s economy. Not only is CTE offering Hawaii students technical training for a broad range of high-demand career fields like teaching, health care, retail, accommodations and food services, information technology and engineering, it is providing students with academic and employability skills that are necessary for success in any career.

Additionally, in the new and emerging "green" occupations in Hawaii — such as energy and manufacturing engineers, agriculture and manufacturing production technicians, solar panel installers and energy auditors — these occupations will require some form of postsecondary certificate or degree.

In Hawaii’s high schools, more than 27,000 students earned at least one credit in a CTE course in academic year 20102011. These students also scored higher in English and math than their counterparts. Additionally, the graduation rate for those who completed a CTE program of study was higher — 98 percent versus 80 percent for non-CTE students.

In the University of Hawaii community colleges, more than 10,000 students earned at least one credit in a CTE course in academic year 20102011. There was a 76 percent persistence rate for students in CTE programs and more than 1,440 students received a degree or certificate.

In order to continue to prepare students for the workforce, we need congressional support and funding from the national level. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act is the primary source of federal funding for CTE programs. It builds the capacity for academically rigorous instruction aligned to the needs of business and industry. Perkins supports innovation and expands access to quality CTE programs.

The Basic State Grants in Perkins are distributed to CTE programs at the secondary and postsecondary level for a variety of activities, including strengthening the integration of academics and CTE, promoting linkages between secondary and postsecondary programs, purchasing equipment to ensure that classrooms have the latest technology, providing CTE "programs of study" that create a seamless education pathway for students and supporting career and technical education student organizations.

In 2011, Perkins was slashed by $140 million after years of stagnant federal funding. When our national focus is on creating new jobs, training workers for jobs available now and growing the economy, cutting federal support for CTE is a move in the wrong direction.

It is essential that Congress provide a strong investment in Perkins in order to prepare students for today’s high-wage, high-skill and high-demand career fields.