Congress continues to work on appropriations bills for 2026, but lawmakers have yet to reach a consensus on a number of budget-related items, including funding for the Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL). The House passed a minibus that includes funding for three other appropriations bills, including the National Science Foundation and other agencies, which the Senate will consider next week. Related to regulatory activity, negotiated rulemaking continues as the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee is convening for the second time this week to continue discussing the implementation of financial aid changes passed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In other news, ACTE is preparing for CTE Month in February, coordinating with lawmakers and other stakeholders. Read more updates below. 

• ACTE Endorses Immersive Technology Bill: This week, Reps. John Mannion (D-NY) and Gabe Evans (R-CO) introduced the Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act. ACTE endorsed the bill, alongside Advance CTE and other partners. The bill, if passed, would establish a grant program at the DOL to support the development of immersive technology programs at community colleges and area CTE centers.  
• AHEAD Committee Meets for Second Week: The AHEAD Committee at ED convened for the second time this week to continue discussing the implementation of financial aid changes passed under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Conversations centered around gainful employment, the Do No Harm provision and other topics related to student loans and Pell Grants. The committee has yet to reach a consensus at the time of writing. 
• Innovation Challenge Launch Webinar Announced: This week, ED announced an information session on January 13 related to the launch of the $15 million “Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge” that was announced in December. Register here for the webinar to learn more about how you can get involved! 
• DOL Awards $13.8 Million to Expand the Shipbuilding Workforce: On Jan. 8, the DOL awarded over $13.8 million to expand programs that prepare students to enter shipbuilding. Grants were awarded to Delaware County Community College and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, each hosting robust maritime workforce programs. 
• ED Approves Funding Waiver for Iowa: On Jan. 7, ED announced that it had approved Iowa’s Returning Education to the States waiver request, giving the state more flexibility under ESSA. Specifically, the waiver will allow Iowa to consolidate its state-level activities funds for several ESEA funding streams—including programs that support English language learners, after-school programs and teacher recruitment—and use them for any activity allowed under the included programs. The waiver also grants Iowa the ability to waive specific ESEA requirements from local education agencies and school districts related to carryover funds, Title IV set-asides and funds for transition services. 
• DOL Announces $145 Million in Funding to Expand Apprenticeships: On Jan. 6, DOL announced over $145 million to expand Registered Apprenticeship programs nationwide, aligning with the Trump Administration’s goal to exceed one million active apprentices a year. Grants will be awarded to up to five cooperative agreements for a four-year period and will focus on pay-for-performance incentive payments programs, with an emphasis on industries with well-established apprenticeship infrastructure. 
• ED Releases $169 Million in FIPSE Grants: On Jan 5, ED announced that it has awarded over $169 million in grants under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). The grants, which were originally announced late last year, are focused on several areas outlined by the Trump Administration as urgent needs in postsecondary education, including expanding Workforce Pell-aligned programs, integrating AI into coursework and establishing new accreditors. 
• Opportunity for Skills Validation Funding: Education Design Lab, in technical partnership with Credential Engine and with a foundational grant from Walmart, invites you to apply to Advancing Workforce Mobility: An RFP for Credential Transparency and Skills Validation. This $3.5 million initiative is designed for organizations that care deeply about STARs—workers Skilled Through Alternative Routes—and want to help them clearly show what they know and can do and connect those skills to quality jobs. Key dates and details are available here.  
• Ed & Workforce Committee Considers Bills Related to Pregnant Students and Trafficking: On Jan. 8, the House Education and Workforce Committee approved two bills, H.R. 4307, Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking, and H.R. 6359, the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act. Single parents, including single pregnant women, are a special population outlined in Perkins.