1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Building Understanding, Investment, Learning, and Direction Career and Technical Education Act of 2018 or the BUILD Career and Technical Education Act of 2018 . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The average high school graduation rate for students concentrating in career and technical education programs is 93 percent, compared to the national graduation rate of 80 percent. (2) High school students who participate in career and technical education programs have higher academic motivation, academic engagement, grades, career self-efficacy, college aspirations, and employability skills. (3) Eighty-eight percent of high school students who participate in career and technical education continue on to postsecondary education. (4) Eighty percent of high school students taking college preparatory classes with rigorous career and technical education programs met college and career readiness goals, compared to only 63 percent of students taking the same academic core who did not experience rigorous career and technical education programs. 3. Pilot grant program to support career and technical education exploration program in middle schools and high schools (a) Purposes The purposes of this Act are the following: (1) To provide students with opportunities to participate in career and technical education exploration programs and to provide information on available career and technical education programs and their impact on college and career readiness. (2) To expand professional growth of, and career opportunities for, students through career and technical education exploration programs. (3) To enhance collaboration between education providers and employers. (4) To develop or enhance career and technical education exploration programs with ties to a career and technical education program of study. (5) To evaluate students’ participation in coordinated middle school and high school career and technical education exploration programs. (b) Definitions In this Act: (1)