Perkins V powers LCC’s occupational programs

By Carson Lemon
Staff Reporter

Although Perkins V was signed into law in 2018, the origins of the grant can be traced back to the early 20^th century. The first ever federal investment into vocational training, also known as Career and Technical Education (CTE) training, was with the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917.

CTE training aims to supply high demand career fields with a steady supply of competent and knowledgeable professionals. These training programs often have an emphasis on work-based learning through apprenticeships and job shadowing, focusing on careers in health sciences, manufacturing, hospitality, construction and more.

The passage of the Smith-Hughes Ace promoted education in the traditional trades of agriculture and manufacturing. While groundbreaking, the act left those looking for further education in their field without a clear path forward. In 1963, Congress passed the Vocation Education Act, which expanded federal funding for industries like business and healthcare. Additionally, this act featured inclusive policy, mandating that states set aside funding to serve individuals with disabilities.

The Carl D. Perkins Act, passed in 1984, created more streamlined metrics to measure student success and assess industry needs. The act also mandated stricter program requirements for higher education institutions receiving funding through the act.

Most recently, in 2018, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act was passed by Congress, which reauthorized funding for CTE training through the Carl D. Perkins Act—now referred to simply as Perkins V. Every state receives federal funding through Perkins V and distributes the money amongst higher education institutions as it sees fit.

In Michigan, Perkins V funding is administered by the Michigan Department of Education and the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). LEO oversees the Perkins V funding dispersal for post-secondary career and technical education. LCC receives funding from the state for certain academic programs designated by the State of Michigan as state-approved occupational programs.

The funding LCC receives can go to instructional equipment and projects, as well as professional development and training. Additionally, the Perkins V Grant webpage on the LCC website states, “Perkins funding is also used to support special population students enrolled in State-approved occupational programs through tuition grants, and other support services.”

LCC hosts a variety of state-approved occupational programs, ranging from accounting, marketing, and even welding technology. LCC budgets their Perkins V funding under the leadership of Perkins CTE Coordinator Tricia McKay, and the Perkins V Steering Committee, led by McKay but comprised of individuals from each academic division, Finance, Purchasing, Center for Data Science, and the Grant Foundation Office. As the Perkins CTE Coordinator for the school, McKay leads monthly meetings and offers her guidance to the committee. She stays up to date on federal and state requirements around Perkins V.

To get Perkins V funding from LCC, programs submit a funding request to the committee, which evaluates the request according to

federal Perkins V criteria, as well as LCC’s institutional priorities and the results from LCC’s Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment. According to McKay, the Local Needs Assessment includes reviewing “labor‑market demand, program performance, enrollment and completion data, and equity considerations.”

Following evaluation, the committee makes recommendations to LCC’s Provost Cabinet. Once the Provost Cabinet approves, then a Perkins V Local Application is submitted to LEO. LEO has the “final say,” and LCC programs cannot spend any Perkins funding until the Local Application has been approved by the state.

Perkins V not only covers funding for CTE training across the country, but they also create guidelines and regulations that require higher learning institutions to provide services like tutoring, advising, and resources for students with disabilities.

McKay has been at LCC for ten years, serving as the Program Director for the Child Development and Early Education program, as well as becoming the college’s Perkins CTE Coordinator in December 2021. In McKay’s opinion, the grant benefits the student experience on LCC’s campus in more ways than one. “In many cases, the grant allows us to update equipment, expand support services, and invest in improvements that directly enhance learning,” McKay said.

With LCC dispersing Perkins V grant money in various divisions of the college, almost every department can attest to how the funding can benefit students. Adult Resource Center Coordinator Ashlee Podleski says she utilizes the money the center gets from Perkins to fund a Special Populations Tuition Grant, open for LCC students to apply for.

With such a long history, evolving and adapting in the hands of federal lawmakers, the Perkins V Grant tries to cover a lot of ground. Over the years in her role, McKay says, “I’ve seen a stronger emphasis on serving Special Population students, utilizing data, ensuring equity, and alignment with workforce demand. What has stayed the same is the core purpose: supporting and offering high‑quality CTE programs at LCC.”