Biden-Harris Administration Allocates $25M in Grants to Enhance Career-Focused High Schools

The Biden-Harris Administration today is announcing 19 new grant awards totaling $25 million through the first-ever Perkins Innovation and Modernization, Career Connected High Schools (CCHS) grant program.

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is investing $25 million in the Perkins Innovation and Modernization, Career Connected High Schools (CCHS) grant program. These grants aim to develop new high-quality career-connected high school programs for more students, by partnering with business and industry. Grantees will focus on four strategies to help students succeed in their careers: providing postsecondary education and career guidance, increasing access to dual or concurrent enrollment programs, offering work-based learning opportunities, and providing industry-recognized credentials.

“President Biden understands the importance of career-connected learning to prepare our young people for in-demand careers and well-paying jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “By providing all students with access to dual enrollment classes, work-based learning, industry credentials, and comprehensive career advising, we can transform the American high school experience and ensure that every student is career-ready. The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to providing career-connected learning opportunities for every student in every community.”

This grant is part of the Department’s initiative called “Raise the Bar: Unlocking Career Success.” The initiative aims to help young Americans access good-paying jobs by implementing innovative models. Secretary Cardona will highlight this announcement during a visit to DC Public Schools’ Advanced Technical Center in Washington, DC. The CCHS grant program is the Department’s first-ever effort to build capacity and coordination among secondary and postsecondary education, workforce development systems, and community partners. The goal is to expand access to career-connected high school programs, especially for underserved students.

The Department received 160 eligible applications from 43 states and the District of Columbia, with funding requests totaling over $850 million for comprehensive career-connected learning projects.

The following are the recipients of the CCHS grants: