About Perkins

In 2008, Minnesota Colleges (each of the 2-year institutions that are a part of Minnesota State) along with Minnesota school districts, were categorized into 26 consortia across the state.  Each district is tied to a specific Minnesota 2-year College (and depending on location, additional Minnesota State Colleges might be included into a consortia), which acts as the "host" of the consortia. 

The goal of the consortia is to promote collaborative planning and implementation of Career and Technical Education programs through the Perkins federal grant. Each consortium has, at least, one Minnesota State college and one school district, including charter schools. 

Every four years the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Office of Career and Technical Education, along with the Minnesota Department of Education, must reapply to receive Perkins funding.  These two organizations manage the grant, with each consortium reporting and documenting their initiatives each year to remain compliant with Perkins V guidelines. (from the Minnesota State CTE website)

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act--otherwise known as Perkins V--is a federal grant provided by the US Department of Education.  It is dedicated to increasing learner access to high-quality Career and Technical programs of study. It provides dedicated resources to implement programs and support the range of educational needs of students from exploration through career preparation. The addition of the required comprehensive local needs assessment strives to provide a balance between student needs with the current and emerging economic needs. (from the Federal Perkins Website)