Urge your Senators to Pass the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act

Words: Stephen BorgThe Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is pleased to report that following our annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. in May, the U.S. House of Representatives heeded our calls and passed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (H.R.2353) by a unanimous, bipartisan voice vote on June 22, 2017. As you will remember, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act re-authorizes the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education program, the federal law that was originally passed in 1984 to provide federal support to state and local career and technical education (CTE) programs.

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act would simplify the application process and empower state and local workforce leaders, improve program alignment with in-demand jobs, increase accountability, and ensure a limited federal role in state program implementation.

Please click here to learn more.

The MCAA fully supports the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act and asks you to contact your federal Senators and ask them to quickly pass the bill as well. This bill authorizes over $1 billion annually and will go a long way towards reversing the current downward trend of support and availability of CTE programs that our industry needs to continue to find willing and able employees.

Visit www.masoncontractors.org/positions/strengthening-career-and-technical-education-for-the-21st-century-act to take action.
About: Legislative
The Importance of Staying Engaged
September 2026

There’s an old adage in Washington, D.C.: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” After moving to Washington, D.C., in January of 2001 for what I thought would be a fun two years working for a Member of Congress while I figured out what I really want

Mentmore Towers, Fort Point, and More
September 2026

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, UK, stands as a sweeping estate that represents the absolute peak of English masonry. Conceived with breathtaking scale and precision, the monumental complex is defined by

The Alhambra
September 2026

High above Granada, Spain, the Alhambra offers masonry professionals something more than an architectural landmark. It is a working lesson in how relatively simple building materials, placed by skilled craftsmen and maintained over generations, can create

The Wall
September 2026

There is a story around Huntley Brothers that some of our guys simply call “The Wall.” I’ve told it enough times over the years that when I start telling it to one of our younger guys, I can see a few of the older ones rolling their eyes. They’ve heard i