It is the purpose of this subchapter to provide Federal assistance to States to enable them to plan for the development of career education and career development programs and activities for individuals of all ages, and to plan for the improvement of existing programs and activities, in the areas of awareness, exploration, planning, and decisionmaking of individuals served with regard to career opportunities and career development throughout the lifetimes of such individuals, through—

(1) planning for the development of information on the needs for career education and career development for all individuals;

(2) planning for the promotion of a national dialogue on career education and career development designed to encourage each State and local educational agency to determine and adopt the approach best suited to the needs of the individuals served by each such agency;

(3) planning for the assessment of the status of career education and career development programs and practices, including a reassessment of the stereotyping of career opportunities by race or by sex;

(4) planning for the demonstration of the best of the current career education and career development programs and practices by planning to develop and test exemplary programs and practices using various theories, concepts, and approaches with respect to career education and through planning for a nationwide system of regional career education centers;

(5) planning for the training and retraining of persons for conducting career education and career development programs; and

(6) developing State and local plans for implementing programs designed to ensure that every person has the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for gainful or maximum employment and for full participation in our society according to his or her ability.

(Pub. L. 94–482, title III, § 331, Oct. 12, 1976, 90 Stat. 2221.)