Pacific Vocational Education Improvement Program (PVEIP)
PREL’s PVEIP provides sub-grant awards to four eligible state educational agencies (SEAs) in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and the Republic of Palau. The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 provides funds through the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. ED) for PREL to provide administrative and technical assistance to the four sub-grantees to enable them to carry out their local vocational education and training projects. These projects and ancillary activities make up the PVEIP. Currently, the act authorizes PVEIP funding through September 30 annually.
The Work of The the PVEIP
Subject to the legislation as enacted in the reauthorized 2006 Perkins Act, PREL is authorized to receive federal funds and make sub-grant awards only in the first fiscal year following the date of enactment. The four eligible SEA jurisdictions who receive sub-grant awards are mandated in the act to use funds to provide direct vocational and technical educational services, including the following:
- Teacher and counselor training and retraining
- Curriculum development
- The improvement of vocational and technical education and training programs in secondary schools and institutions of higher education, or improving cooperative education programs involving both secondary schools and institutions of higher education
Accordingly, the PREL Board of Directors determined that the mission of the PVEIP should be to strengthen and improve the quality of secondary-level vocational education systems in the four jurisdictions. The Board also established the following four goals that should guide the Pacific jurisdictions in the development of projects and activities to achieve the PVEIP mission:
- Professional Development—Provide preservice and in-service training opportunities that will increase the ability of secondary-level vocational education teachers to: (a) teach challenging subject matter in the various vocational disciplines, and (b) assist their students in achieving high academic and skill standards.
- Economic Development—Ensure that secondary schools offer vocational education programs that support the Pacific region’s economic development priorities and meet projected labor needs of key industries and business establishments.
- Program and Curriculum Development—Revise and update secondary-level vocational programs and curricula to ensure that the Pacific region’s students acquire marketable knowledge and skills in their areas of specialization.
- Instructional Resources—Ensure that all Pacific secondary schools possess adequate instructional resources (e.g., textbooks, tools, equipment, and supplies) to implement the new or updated vocational programs resulting from Goals 2 and 3.
In addition, PREL, as the monitoring agency for the Pacific PVEIP funds, administers funds consistent with the following criteria:
- Project activities are consistent with the intent of the Perkins Act and the overall program mission and goals established by the PREL Board of Directors.
- Project activities and outcomes are clear, explicit, and realistic.
- Project expenditure plan is consistent with project activities with reasonable quarterly costs and obligations.
- All project certifications and assurances are signed by the appropriate entity official.
Contact
For additional information, contact Mr. Canisius T. Filibert, Director, at filiberc@prel.org.