I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving break!  

Above are three links you may be interested in investigating more. The PFI External Funding Applications are due January 31, 2014. If you have an innovative idea for CTE development or enhancement for the state, you are encouraged to collaborate and submit an application. Expectations and guidelines are outlined in the application. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact us. 

The Youth CareerConnect grant program is designed to encourage America's school districts, institutions of higher education, the workforce investment system, and their partners to scale up evidence-based high school models that will transform the high school experience for America's youth.  The Department of Labor will use up to $100 million in revenues from the H-1B visa program to fund approximately 25 to 40 grants for individual or multi-site projects. Grants will be awarded to local education agencies, public or non-profit local workforce entities, or non-profits with education reform experience. All grantees will have to demonstrate a strong public/private partnership, and must include, at a minimum, a local education agency, a local workforce investment system entity, an employer, and an institution of higher education. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to employers, foundations, and others in building their applications and leveraging the federal investment. At a minimum, applicants will also be required to provide a match of 25 percent of the grant award. Awards are anticipated to be made in early 2014 for program implementation to align with the 2014-15 school year.

Lastly, the Hidden STEM Economy highlights all the STEM Careers that are not as obvious, but just as important to any state or regional economy. 

PFI is here to serve Perkins Consortia members. If there is anything PFI can do to enhance CTE in your community or region for the advancement of economic and workforce development, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Partnerships for Innovation is a collaboration of secondary and postsecondary partners focused on building a better statewide system of Career and Technical Education for Nebraska to improve student learning and better meet economic development priorities.  PFI will do this by introducing innovation in delivery systems in CTE to include Career Academies, professional development and programs of study with coordinated curriculum between secondary and postsecondary.