The Senate adjourned late Wednesday night after confirming Keith Sonderling as Secretary of Labor, joining the House in recess until November. There was still notable activity on behalf of the Administration and its agencies, including the Department of Education (ED) issuing a memo on grant spending requirements and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) publishing proposed rules for the school choice tax credit program. Read more policy updates below.  

• IES Releases National Evaluation of CTE: On Sept. 30, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) released the National Evaluation of CTE Under Perkins V (NECTEP). The report found that while states and districts leveraged changes introduced in Perkins V, they also faced capacity and implementation challenges related to program quality, labor market alignment, teacher recruitment and retention, and career guidance activities. We will be posting a deeper dive into this on the Policy Watch blog soon.  

• IRS Proposes Rule for School Choice Program: On Oct. 1, the IRS published proposed rules for the Education Freedom Tax Credit, the nationwide school choice program that launches Jan. 1, 2027. The program would provide tax credits for individuals’ donations to scholarship-granting organizations, who in turn would provide students with scholarships for private school tuition and public school expenses such as tutoring, services for students with disabilities, books, computers and other costs.   

• ED Issues Memo on Grant Spending Requirements: On Sept. 28, ED issued a memo stating that, starting Nov. 1, all of the agency’s grant recipients will be required to provide written justification for drawing down funds. Grantees will have to provide the program name, expense categories and amounts, and the start and end dates for expenses. These requirements had already been applied to Perkins funds now being administered by the Department of Labor.  

• Trump Administration Cancels Nearly $1 Billion in Federal Spending: On Sept. 25, the Trump Administration announced that it was cutting $810 million in federal spending via a pocket recission, including nearly $100 million in education funding. Programs that were cut centered around international and language education as well as migrant student initiatives. 

• Senate Confirms Keith Sonderling for Labor Secretary: On Sept. 30, the Senate voted to confirm Keith Sonderling as Secretary of Labor following Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s departure. Sonderling had been serving as the Acting Secretary. Read more on the Policy Watch blog.  

• ED Approves Workforce Pell Programs in Florida: On Sept. 28, ED approved four Workforce Pell programs in Florida. Eligible students at Eastern Florida State College can now use Federal Pell dollars to enroll in programs that will prepare students for careers as firefighters, correctional officers, emergency management technicians, and more.   

• DOL Awards $43 Million for Skills Training Programs: On Sept. 30, the DOL announced that it has awarded over $43 million to support the development of skills training programs in shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing and other critical industries across seven states. The funds are part of the Industry-driven Skills Training Fund Grant Program. 

• 3.1 Million High School Students Engage with Dual Enrollment: An analysis of recently released federal postsecondary data from the Community College Research Center found that the number of high school students that took a college course in 2024-25 was 3.1 million, a new record. Enrollment is up 24% from 2.5 million students in the 2022-23 school year. 

• ED and Treasury Launch Defaulted Loans Support Center: On Sept. 30, ED and the Department of Treasury (Treasury) announced the launch of the Defaulted Loans Support Center, an online portal that allows Americans with defaulted federal student loans to understand their options, address default and return to repayment.   

• ED Extends Enrollment Period for Student Loan Interest Rate Reduction: On Sept. 29, ED announced that it was extending the enrollment period for the 1% interest rate reduction benefit through Dec. 31. 

• IES Expends Research Funds Before Deadline: The IES spent the remaining of its research budget for the fiscal year this week following concerns from advocacy groups that the agency would be unable to do so. A federal court last week had ordered the IES to provide an update on the status of its research funding. 

• ED Rescinds 2024 Title IX Regulations and Reinstates 2020 Regulations: On Sept. 28, ED announced that it was formally rescinding the Title IX regulations that the Biden administration put in place in 2024. This formally reinstates the 2020 Title IX regulations, which ED said will provide “clear guidance for parents, students, and educational institutions on the legal requirements of Title IX,” the federal law that bars discrimination on the basis of sex in educational settings.   

• DOJ Ends More than 50 School Desegregation Cases: On Sept. 24, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it has ended more than 50 decades-long school desegregation cases. The cases were originally established to curb racial segregation during the Civil Rights era. 

On September 30, the Senate in a 47-41 vote confirmed Keith Sonderling as Secretary of Labor. 

Sonderling has been serving as Acting Secretary since April and as Deputy Secretary since the start of the Trump Administration. Sonderling also served as a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from September 2020 to July 2024.  

It is expected that Sonderling’s primary focuses for the department will be deregulation, expanding apprenticeships, reshoring manufacturing jobs and readying the workforce for the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence. 

While speaking in support of the nomination, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said, “I’m confident that he will protect workers, help businesses create more jobs, and help workers navigate AI-driven changes in the workforce.” 

Democrats opposed Sonderling’s confirmation, citing Administration policies at the department they disagreed with, including management of some Department of Education grant programs at Labor.   

A recent report from Lightcast found that skilled trades occupations face an annual nationwide shortage of 1.3 million workers, with three job openings for every individual who completes a postsecondary or training program in the skilled trades. 

To perform these calculations, the researchers defined the skilled trades as 135 hands-on, in-person occupations that do not require a four-year degree but do require one or more of the following: 

• Apprenticeship training 

• Certificate completion 

• Education up to and including an associate degree 

• Other on-the-job training and experience 

Examples of skilled trades occupations identified by the researchers include farm equipment technicians, sheet metal workers, gas plant operators and wind turbine service technicians. 

In total, the 135 skilled trades occupations make up 9% of all U.S. jobs, about 20 million workers, and the unemployment rate for skilled trades industries is near an all-time 20-year low.  

Seven of the top 10 most in-demand occupations are facing labor shortages, including carpenters, painters and supervisors of construction and extraction workers. Nationwide, the occupations with the most annual job openings, on average, are the following: 

• General maintenance and repair workers (197,600)  

• Assemblers and fabricators (177,300)  

• Carpenters (126,900) 

• Automotive service technicians and mechanics (121,200)  

In addition to a shortage of program completers, retirements and job exits are another factor contributing to the shortage of skilled trades workers. More than one in four skilled trades workers are 55 or older, and retirements and job exits account for 837,000 annual job openings. 

Shortages vary by state. The states that have experienced the most growth in skilled trades jobs over the past decade are Idaho (+39.3%), Utah (+36.3%), Arizona (+35.7%) and Nevada (+34.6%). Vermont experienced the steepest decline in skilled trades jobs (-10%). 

Solutions to these shortages include CTE programs as well as apprenticeships, which provide training for 45% of skilled trades jobs. Apprenticeship completions in skilled trades fields have increased by over 70% since 2015.  

Examining earnings data, the researchers also found that skilled trades workers earn, on average, $13,000 more annually compared to other non-BA occupations, a 31% salary premium. Skilled trades workers who transition to leadership roles/become business owners can expect to make a median annual salary of $210,000.  

Readers with any questions on the report and skilled trades data and research can reach out to ACTE’s Research and Policy Coordinator Jesus Galvan (jgalvan@acteonline.org).  

Congressional committee leadership is likely to change following the upcoming midterm elections in November. All House committee leaders and many Senate committee leaders are up for reelection this year, while others have already been defeated in primary elections or plan to retire. 

If Democrats take control of either the House or Senate, they will also take over the chair positions of that chamber’s committees. These positions are typically, though not always, filled by the committee’s previous ranking member. Similarly, chairs who lose their positions when their party loses the majority often remain on the committee as their party’s ranking member. 

If Republicans retain control of either chamber, many of the chairs in that chamber will likely remain in their current positions, although some face term limits and will have to apply for exceptions. 

Committee assignments, including the roles of chair and ranking member, are determined through each party’s internal processes. 

Potential Relevant Committee Leadership Changes 

House Education and Workforce Committee 

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) is currently the chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee. If the Republicans keep the house, Walberg likely would continue to chair the committee. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) is the current ranking member of the committee and is vying to become chair if the Democrats flip the House. At this time, Scott is being challenged by Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT) for his position as the highest ranking Democrat on the committee. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) also recently stated she wasn’t “ruling anything out” when it came to putting herself in the running for the chair position as well, setting up an interesting situation after the election.  

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee  

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), current chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, lost his primary, so regardless of election results, leadership of this committee will change. Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) are all seen as leading contenders for the top Republican position at this time. Sen. Paul has the seniority to take the position, but he is the current chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He has not indicated publicly yet whether he would leave his current committee leadership position to lead the HELP Committee. Sen. Marshall has publicly expressed interest in leading the committee. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) is currently the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. If Democrats take the majority in the Senate, he would likely become chair.  

House Agriculture Committee 

Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) is the current chair of the House Agriculture Committee. He has served as the Republican leader of the Committee since 2021, and has reached the six-year limit on consecutive leadership positions in House Republican Committee rules. Thompson can seek waiver from the House Republican Steering Committee to remain in this role next Congress and has indicated that he will do that. If Thompson is not granted a waiver, Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) could be a potential successor. Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) is the current ranking member of the committee. However, Craig sought the Democratic nomination for the open Minnesota Senate seat, vacatubg her seat in the House. Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) is running for the top Democrat position on the committee and is favored to replace Craig.  

House Committee on Small Business  

Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) is the current chair of the House Committee on Small Business. Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) is the ranking member of the committee but is retiring this year. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) has announced that she is considering running to replace Velazquez as the top Democrat on the committee.  

Appropriations Committees 

In the Senate, Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) is up for reelection in a closely watched race. If she is not reelected, Sen. Murkowski (R-ME) is next in line in Committee seniority. The outcome of the Maine Senate race could impact the leadership of both the Appropriations and HELP committees. Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) is not up for reelection in 2026 and is expected to maintain her leadership role in the next Congress. 

In the House, Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) won his primary in June and will face Mitchell Jacob (D) in the general election in November. Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) also won her primary in August and will face Christopher Lancia (R) in November. Both members are expected to maintain their leadership positions if reelected. 

The Senate was in session this week while the House remained out after ending their session early last week. There was significant activity across the Administration, including two deadlines for submitting comments on Department of Education (ED) regulatory proposals. ED also launched FAFSA this week and continued approving additional programs for Workforce Pell. Read more updates below. 

• ACTE and Advance CTE Submit Comments on Two Regulatory Proposals from ED: This week, ACTE and Advance CTE submitted comments on two major regulatory proposals from ED. The first set of comments addresses ED’s proposed changes to postsecondary accreditation, while the second set focus on ED’s proposed changes to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations.  

• ED Approves Workforce Pell Programs in Texas & North Carolina: On Sept. 22, ED approved six new Workforce Pell Grant programs in Texas. At Kilgore College, students can now use these federal grants to enroll in Electrical Power Lineman, Phlebotomy Technician, and Pharmacy Technician programs. At Weatherford College, students can now use federal dollars to access HVAC, Basic Machining, and Advanced Machining programs. Then on Sept. 25, six new programs were approved in North Carolina at Forsyth Technical Community College, including programs leading students to careers as firefighters, electrical power-line installers and repairers, welders, cutters, paramedics and nursing assistants.     

• DOL Awards $65M in Grants to Develop Access to Workforce Pell: On Sept. 23, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the award of $65 million in grants through the Strengthening Community Colleges program. The grants were awarded to consortia in seven states to help community colleges develop high-quality, short-term programs that can qualify for Workforce Pell funding. The states include Colorado, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas.   

• ED Launches 2027-28 FAFSA Form: On Sept. 23, ED launched the 2027-28 FAFSA form, marking the earliest launch date in the form’s history. In addition to various technical changes made to the form, students can now view the earnings outcomes of graduates from the colleges to which they are applying. 

• Rep. Bonamici Introduces Bill on AI Education and Workforce Readiness: On Sept. 21, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici—co-chair of the House CTE Caucus—introduced legislation that would implement various safeguards on AI use in education and workforce settings. The bill would also create grant programs aimed at expanding career pathways and workforce development programs. 

• Punchbowl News Interviews Sen. Ted Budd on the Future of the American Workforce: On September 24, Punchbowl News held an event with Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), co-chair of the CTE Caucus, on the future of the American workforce. Read more on the blog. 

• DOE Launches $16 Million Competition on the Mining Workforce: The Department of Energy (DOE) recently launched a $16 million prize competition on the mining and critical minerals workforce. Postsecondary institutions with eligible mining programs can submit plans on how they would increase the number of graduates and credentialed professionals in the mining and critical minerals workforce, including through upskilling and workforce training. Plans are due October 5, with winners receiving up to $1 million. 

• NIST Awards Nearly $2 Million to Support the Cybersecurity Workforce: On Sept. 18, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced that it was awarding nearly $2 million in cybersecurity workforce development grants to postsecondary institutions and organizations.  

• GAO Issues Report on Chronic Absenteeism Data: On Sept. 23, the Government Accountability Office found that ED’s method of calculating chronic absenteeism rates is not reliable and often leads to implausible data. Notably, the report found that shared-time centers—where many CTE programs are housed—are significantly more likely to have unreliable data than other schools.\ 

• U.S. Census Bureau Releases Report on Labor Market Outcomes for AI-Exposed College Majors: In September, the U.S. Census Bureau released Graduating into Disruption: Labor Market Outcomes for AI-Exposed College Majors, a report that explores how new college graduates are affected by the rise of artificial intelligence.  

• ED Makes $235M Investment in HBCUs and Tribal Colleges: On Sept. 22, ED announced that it is redirecting more than $174 million to historically Black colleges and universities and $61 million to tribal colleges. It says the “one-time” investments come from programs that generally funded Hispanic-serving and other minority-serving institutions.  

• ED Approves Waiver for Mississippi: On Sept. 24, ED approved Mississippi’s Returning Education to the States Waiver, allowing the state to consolidate $14 million in federal funds for specific state-level improvement priorities.  

• House Passes Science of Reading Act of 2026: On Sept. 16, the House passed the bipartisan Science of Reading Act of 2026 (H.R. 7890) to prioritize evidence-based literacy instruction in federal funding.  

• Judge Blocks ED Teacher Training Funding Cuts: On Sept. 17, a federal judge struck down an ED directive that cut $600 million from teacher-training grants based on what officials called “divisive ideologies.”   

On September 24, Punchbowl News held an interview with Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), Co-chair of the CTE Caucus, on the future of the American workforce. Sen. Budd highlighted developments in his home state of North Carolina, including the construction of a data center that is employing 1,000 electricians. He noted that AI is not the only determining factor on the future of the American workforce, emphasizing the reshoring of manufacturing as a major factor in what he called the “blue collar revolution” that he believes the American workforce is currently experiencing. Sen. Budd championed Workforce Pell and the ability to obtain stackable, high-quality credentials debt free as a huge step forward for the workforce. A recording of the interview can be found here.  

New research from the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University found that postsecondary institutions across the nation’s 55 largest metro areas are not producing enough middle-skills credentials aligned with “springboard occupations.” 

To identify shortages, the researchers compared production of middle-skills credentials, defined as undergraduate certificates and associate degrees, with projected job growth for springboard occupations, which offer higher median annual wages and stronger wage growth than other occupations that employ many middle-skills workers.  

A total of 159 springboard occupations were identified across 22 occupational groups, with significant variation across metro areas: 

• The occupational groups with the highest number of springboard occupations are installation, maintenance and repair (20 occupations); health care professional and technical (16); and production (16).  

• Springboard occupations with the most workers include electricians (505,000 workers); computer support specialists (426,000); production supervisors (232,000); and engineering technologists (185,000).  

The researchers found that none of the metro areas they examined are producing enough middle-skills credentials to meet projected demand for springboard occupations: 

• The Indianapolis, San Jose and Orlando metro areas produce the most aligned credentials but still experience shortages for specific occupational groups. In comparison, the Nashville, Grand Rapids and Portland metro areas produced the fewest aligned credentials.  

• The occupational groups facing the most middle-skills credential shortages include construction and extraction; installation, maintenance and repair; production; and protective services.  

• The occupational groups with the most credentials aligned to projected springboard occupations include arts, design, entertainment, sports and media; legal; health care professional and technical; and computer and mathematical sciences.  

Readers can explore additional findings with the report’s accompanying data tool. Questions can be sent to ACTE’s Research and Policy Coordinator Jesus Galvan (jgalvan@acteonline.org).