Career Technical Education (CTE) provides students of all ages with the academic and technical skills necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners. About 12.5 million high school and college students are enrolled in CTE nationwide. CTE prepares these learners for the world of work by introducing them to workplace competencies and making academic content accessible to students by providing hands-on experiences in various industry sectors.
CTE Resources:
- Build New Mexico highlights the eight New Mexico economic priority sectors identified by Governor Lujan Grisham.
- Career Pathways NM provides labor market information by school district and custom reporting for every district in New Mexico.
- CTE courses follow standards detailed in the New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC). These standards require all districts, charter schools and eligible state educational institutions meet challenging academic and technical standards set forth by NMAC 6.29.3.
- Advance CTE National Career Clusters Framework (click here)
- Perkins 101: ACTE Provides Instruction to Perkins
Funding
The College and Career Readiness Bureau (CCRB) oversees the administration of federal and state funds specific to CTE and the implementation of CTE activities. Two funding sources are available. The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, Perkins V, provides federal funding. State legislative funds, covered in NMSA 22.1.12, are known as known as Next Gen CTE.
| Perkins V
Federal funding is available for building and improving CTE programs at public secondary school districts, state and local charter schools, community colleges, technical institutions, or other 2-year postsecondary institutions, that provide rigorous and relevant CTE. |
NextGen
State funding is available for public secondary school districts and state and district charter schools, to leverage federal programming and to improve CTE support programs such as math integration, career exploration, employability skill development or other CTE programs that may not qualify for federal funding. |
Funding Resources:
- Consolidated Career Technical Education (CTE) Program Policies and Procedures
- CCRB Contract Program Manager List (FY25)
- Budget Update Form (BUF)
- 2024-2025 Equipment Over $5,000 Approval Form
Eligibility
To be eligible for a grant, applicants must operate a career and technical education program that:
- Strengthens the academic and technical skills of students participating in career and technical education programs
- Integrates core academic subjects into technical education programs through an aligned sequence of courses
- Provides students with experience and a comprehensive understanding of a career cluster
- Develops, improves, or expands the use of technology in CTE
- Provides professional development to teachers, counselors, and administrators
- Develops and implements evaluations of the CTE programs carried out with grant funds
- Initiates, improves, expands, and modernizes quality CTE programs
- Provides services and activities that are of sufficient size, scope, and quality to be impactful
- Links secondary to postsecondary CTE programs
Requirements
To comply with state and federal laws while demonstrating that the applicant contributes to the vision of creating a viable and progressive Career and Technical Education system in New Mexico, every application for funding under Perkins V must address the requirements of the following documents:
- New Mexico Perkins V State Plan and Revised State Determined Performance Levels 2024-2028
- The State’s Content Standards
- NM Dash Site Plan
Apply
- If you have never applied for a Perkins or NextGen grant, contact us (click here) for more information and support with your initial application.
- Both secondary and postsecondary applicants should use the comprehensive CTE application hosted by the Grant Management System (GMS) to apply for Perkins V and NextGen CTE funding sources. Note that NextGen funding is available ONLY to secondary institutions. Perkins V funding is available to both secondary and postsecondary institutions.
- CTE Applications run on a two-year program cycle. Only the addition of second-year CTE budgets is required if an institution has been approved for funding for the first year of the two-year program cycle. New applications for CTE funding may be submitted mid-program cycle. The spring application deadline for each year varies. Contact your CTE Regional Coach for details.
- CTE coordinators/directors must request username and password access to the GMS. Follow the ‘Request an account’ link on the GMS landing page. If you need or already have an account, please click here to access the CTE Grant Management Site (GMS).