Salt Lake Community College President Deneece G. Huftalin
testified in October in front of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood,
Elementary, and Secondary Education for the meeting “Improving Career and
Technical Education to Help Students Succeed in the Workforce.”
SLCC President Deneece G. Huftalin is sworn in before testifying. Photo: House Education and the Workforce Committee
House members were considering reauthorization of funding
for the 1984 Perkins Act, established to improve the quality of technical
education as a means of helping the economy. Lawmakers invited Huftalin and
others to talk about the impact Perkins funds have had on CTE programs at their
institutions. For fiscal year 2016, SLCC received approximately $1.25 million
in Perkins money.
“Over the last several
years as the recession weakened state investment in higher education, Perkins
funding was crucial to our ability to maintain and grow key CTE programs for
our students at a time when our enrollment was rapidly increasing,” Huftalin told
legislators. “Acquiring modern equipment is imperative for state-of-the-art CTE
programs. These programs are costly to maintain and often require significant
financial resources to ensure we have the latest technologies and equipment to
train our students to enter today’s ever-advancing and technical workplace.”
SLCC President Deneece G. Huftalin testifies in favor of continued Perkins funding. Photo: House Education and the Workforce Committee
Huftalin said Perkins funds
have also been used to improve training in SLCC’s Aviation Maintenance Avionics
“to meet industry demand and maintain high-quality training” in the college’s
Automotive, Diesel Training and Building construction programs, all serving
“critical industries that contribute to a healthy economy.” She told
representatives how Perkins dollars help strengthen student support services
that help increase completion rates. SLCC’s president highlighted how the
college works collaboratively with The Boeing Company to train students in CTE
areas like machining, fabrication and composites within SLCC’s aerospace
manufacturing program, which relies on Perkins funds.
“Career
and technical education has always been, and will continue to be, at the very
core of our mission at Salt Lake Community College,” Huftalin concluded before
taking questions from committee members. “We appreciate your past support of
the Perkins program and encourage your continued support as this worthwhile
program is considered for reauthorization.”
