On December 9, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Education and the American Family held a hearing entitled: “Building Pathways: Advancing Workforce Development in the 21st Century.” The witnesses included:
- Chris Cox: Deputy Chancellor for Instruction, Research and Development, Alabama Community College System
- Chelle Travis: Executive Director, SkillsUSA
- Joel Stadtlander: Director of Human Resources for ArcelorMittal Calvert
- Luke Rhine: Vice President, Rodel Foundation
The hearing centered on strategies to close the skills gap. But there was also strong discussions on the need for increased investments in CTE along with concerns over the interagency agreement (IAA) to transfer the administration of CTE funds from the Department of Education (ED) to the Department of Labor (DOL).
Throughout the hearing, lawmakers repeatedly highlighted the importance of skills-based pathways that lead to good-paying jobs. Witnesses pointed to industry-recognized credentials, short-term training and work-based learning as critical tools for connecting individuals to in-demand careers more quickly.
In her testimony, Ms. Travis stated, “Federal investments should recognize the full spectrum of work-based learning modalities, from career awareness activities in middle school through career preparation experiences like internships, apprenticeships, and industry-validated competitive events in high school and beyond.” She went on to say that federal policy should “provide dedicated support for scaling work-based learning and developing wider statewide pathways systems that connect CTE programs with complementary workforce development initiatives, ensuring adequate capacity to serve the growing population of learners pursuing career-focused educational experiences.”
On Workforce Pell, Dr. Cox noted that community colleges are well positioned to implement Workforce Pell as they are “agile” and already preparing students for work. Additionally, Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) said he was glad funding was put toward Workforce Pell in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and added that it makes sense to put Pell grants toward short-term credentials because “employers are hiring skills, not degrees.”
Several senators also expressed concern over the IAA. Ranking Member Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) said that she was “disappointed” with the move and the potential inefficiencies will cause. According to Luke Rhine, “CTE is fundamentally an education program.” He added that Congress should maintain the existing structure of Perkins with ED to ensure CTE “continues to deliver opportunity for students.”
A recording of this hearing can be found here.
