Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., is leading the effort to renew the federal Perkins Vocational and Technical Educational Act which Enzi believes is part of an essential link between education, workforce training and economic development. Connecting these areas is "key to a competitive economy for Wyoming and the nation."

"Wyoming residents will benefit from the reauthorization of this Act because it helps provide the academic and vocational skills needed to compete successfully in a global market,"said Enzi. "Fewer and fewer jobs are available to Wyoming residents because they are either academically or educationally unprepared."

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman, Judd Gregg, R-N.H., handed over the gavel to Enzi who chaired the full committee hearing held today in Washington to discuss the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act. The Perkins act aims to prepare youth and adults for the future by building their academic and technical skills in preparation for post-secondary education and employment. The Perkins program is the only federal education and training program that focuses on secondary and post-secondary students simultaneously.

Under the current law, Wyoming receives $4.2 million annually in Perkins funds. The most frequent use of these funds includes purchasing occupationally-relevant equipment, vocational curriculum materials, funding curriculum development or modification, staff development seminars, career counseling and guidance activities, remedial classes, and expansion of technical preparation programs.

"As we discuss reauthorizing the Perkins Act, we need to consider how we can place students on this pathway to prosperity by giving them the skills they need to succeed, even if they don't go on to college," said Enzi. "We must also ensure that rural communities are able to take advantage of Perkins resources, whether it be through distance learning programs or involving consortia of local secondary and postsecondary providers to work together to meet the needs of rural students."

Dr. Jo Anne McFarland, President of Central Wyoming College in Riverton, Wyoming was invited by Enzi to be a panel witness. McFarland and other witnesses stressed that the Perkins program provides valuable resources for secondary and postsecondary education, which helps prepare students for additional education and the workforce.