Minnesota Career and Technical Education
We support the mission of Minnesota State through the implementation of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V Act).
Our office is responsible for providing statewide leadership, support, and service to Minnesota State colleges and secondary school districts through a Minnesota CTE consortium partnership model. There are 23 Perkins/CTE Consortia spread out across the state. Each consortium is comprised one at least one college and one or more school districts.
Our CTE team plays a critical role in elevating career and technical education in Minnesota by increasing learner access to high-quality career and technical programs. We accomplish this through the Perkins V Legislation by providing dedicated resources to implement programs and support the range of educational needs of students from career exploration through college and workforce preparation. The Perkins V Act strengthens our commitment to student success for our most vulnerable students—special populations—aligning educational pathways with industry needs, ensuring our students are equipped with the skills necessary to pursue their college and career passions and thrive in a dynamic job market.
The Perkins V Act
The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) contains the vision and strategies for career and technical education development, innovation, support, and improvement that the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, the Minnesota Department of Education, and local consortia—including their partners—have developed.
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- Perkins V: State Performance Report (March 2025)
- Minnesota Four-Year State Plan (submitted 3/2020)
- Minnesota Four-Year State Plan (The revised version dated 2024 will be uploaded soon)
The vision, mission, and guiding principles for career and technical education were jointly developed by stakeholders from Minnesota State, Minnesota Department of Education, and CTE college and school district partners invested in providing quality CTE programming for all learners in Minnesota.
Vision
Advancing career and technical education
Mission
Quality career and technical education
Guiding Principles
We are committed to ensuring:
- An equity lens for all decision-making
Inclusion of all stakeholders- Being bold, innovative, and focused on continuous improvement
- Responsiveness to the evolving labor market
Our work is driven and guided by the intent of the Perkins V Act.
The purpose of this Act is to develop more fully the academic knowledge and technical and employability skills of secondary education students and postsecondary education students who elect to enroll in career and technical education programs and programs of study, by--
- building on the efforts of States and localities to develop challenging academic and technical standards and to assist students in meeting such standards, including preparation for high skill, high wage, or in-demand occupations in current or emerging professions;
- promoting the development of services and activities that integrate rigorous and challenging academic and career and technical instruction, and that link secondary education and postsecondary education for participating career and technical education students;
- increasing State and local flexibility in providing services and activities designed to develop, implement, and improve career and technical education;
- conducting and disseminating national research and disseminating information on best practices that improve career and technical education programs and programs of study, services, and activities;
- providing technical assistance that--
- promotes leadership, initial preparation, and professional development at the State and local levels; and
- improves the quality of career and technical education teachers, faculty, administrators, and counselors;
- supporting partnerships among secondary schools, postsecondary institutions, baccalaureate degree granting institutions, area career and technical education schools, local workforce investment boards, business and industry, and intermediaries;
- providing individuals with opportunities throughout their lifetimes to develop, in conjunction with other education and training programs, the knowledge and skills needed to keep the United States competitive; and
- increasing the employment opportunities for populations who are chronically unemployed or underemployed, including individuals with disabilities, individuals from economically disadvantaged families, out-of-workforce individuals, youth who are in, or have aged out of, the foster care system, and homeless individuals.
The Minnesota Legislature established Minnesota State Colleges and Universities as the eligible Sole State Agency authorized to receive and disburse federal Perkins V funds and to supervise the administration of the state career and technical education programs in the state of Minnesota as recorded in Minnesota State Statute 136F.79. Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has authority under State law to perform the functions of the State under the program as specified in the Carl D. Perkins State Plan.