On Friday morning, Reps. Andy Levin (D-MI), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL and Bryan Steil (R-WI) introduced an amendment to the America COMPETES Act of 2022 (H.R. 4521) being debated by the House containing language similar to the JOBS Act and College Transparency Act (CTA), two of ACTE’s top legislative priorities. The House approved the amendment by a vote of 238-193, and the entire America COMPETES Act then passed on a largely party-line 222-210 vote.

The JOBS Act would expand learner access to Pell grants to enroll in high-quality, short-term job training programs as little as 150 clock hours and 8 weeks long. These programs benefit both employers and workers by responding to immediate employer demands and creating new pathways or career ladders for workers and students to foster upward mobility. 

The CTA would establish a national postsecondary data reporting system to provide information on student outcomes, such as enrollment, completion and earnings, across postsecondary institutions and career fields. These data are essential to understanding how our postsecondary systems are serving students and businesses, and would significantly increase policymakers’ ability to make improvements to the nation's postsecondary education and training system.  

With the adoption of the amendment and House passage of the America COMPETES Act, this will bring us the closest we have been to expanding Pell Grants to short-term, high-quality training programs and establishing a national postsecondary data reporting system in quite some time! 

The bill will now go to conference with the Senate. The Senate passed its version of the legislation, known as the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), S.1260, last summer, but did not include these provisions. Stay tuned to CTE Policy Watch for the latest updates and advocacy opportunities as the conference negotiations unfold!

A report published by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University examines how CTE concentration in high school can affect postsecondary enrollment, earnings, poverty and education/labor force engagement for different learner groups and across different CTE program areas. Using the Massachusetts state longitudinal data system, researchers studied nine cohorts of high school students, of which 20% were CTE concentrators, for one to seven years after their expected graduation dates. Overall, the researchers found positive impacts of CTE concentration on postsecondary attendance, earnings, poverty avoidance and engagement in education and the labor market.

Postsecondary Attendance: Although CTE concentration predicted a small decrease in overall postsecondary attendance, much of this can be attributed to lower attendance at four-year institutions. In fact, CTE concentration is associated with an increase in attendance at two-year institutions. Within particular student populations, Black and Latino CTE concentrators and concentrators who were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch are much more likely to attend college than their non-CTE peers.

Among program areas, health, IT and education clusters are most likely to lead to postsecondary enrollment, while transportation and construction clusters are least associated with college attendance.

Earnings: Compared to non-CTE students, CTE concentrators, on average, saw $1,792 more in annual earnings during the first year after high school and $3,359 more in annual earnings by seven years post-high school. Among students who never attended a postsecondary institution, CTE concentrators made over $6,000 more annually than non-CTE concentrators by the seventh year. Focusing on particular student groups, CTE concentration is most strongly associated with increased earnings for male learners and historically marginalized students, particularly students with disabilities.

When considering program clusters, the strongest increase in earnings is associated with construction; transportation, manufacturing and technology; and health care. While the positive association with earnings begins to subside in later years as college-going individuals enter the workforce, CTE concentrators’ earnings advantages continue in some fields, particularly in health care and construction.

Poverty and Disengagement: CTE concentrators are 8.4 percentage points more likely to avoid poverty and are significantly more likely to earn above the poverty threshold seven years after high school. Additionally, CTE concentrators are 7.8 percentage points less likely to be disengaged (neither employed nor participating in education or training).

School Setting: The report also studied the differences in post-high school outcomes for CTE concentrators at comprehensive high schools as compared to CTE-dedicated high schools in Massachusetts. Researchers concluded that while both types of institutions are associated with earnings advantages for CTE concentrators, CTE-dedicated schools are likely to lead to significantly larger earnings increases.

This fourth blog post in our CLNA series based on Lessons in Collaboration and Innovation: The Impact and Promise of the Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment, our new report co-published with Advance CTE, explores the role of equity in the first CLNAs.

Many states went above and beyond minimum federal requirements to help local recipients take an equity lens during the first CLNAs, and local CTE leaders have shared how the CLNA made them more aware of inequities. For instance, the need for improved access to CTE programs and more inclusivity within programs were two themes that emerged from the CLNA conducted by the Delaware Area Career Center (DACC) in Ohio. What educators learned from their data analysis and stakeholder feedback led the center to change its admissions process from a grade-point-average ranking to a lottery system. DACC also started a learner-led, non-traditional equity group; created a social media campaign focused on non-traditional learners; and revised promotional materials to be more inclusive.

In another example, the College of DuPage in Illinois leveraged the Illinois Community College Board’s equity-focused CLNA template and its own stakeholder engagement process to learn more about barriers and challenges faced by learners. The findings led the college to implement additional financial supports for CTE learners and to make full time a workforce specialist position that had been part time, with additional responsibilities for helping students navigate available resources and supports.

Stay tuned for the final entry in this series, which will summarize recommendations gleaned from our interviews with CTE leaders, and revisit our last post on data in the CLNA.

The co-chairs of the House and Senate CTE Caucus, Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), and Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Rob Portman (R-OH) have introduced resolutions in both chambers honoring February as CTE Month! 

CLICK HERE to ask your Members of Congress to cosponsor this year’s CTE Month resolutions. 

The House and Senate resolutions raise awareness about the many benefits associated with high-quality CTE programs. Your advocacy makes a difference and encourages representatives and senators to cosponsor the resolutions, so please contact your Members of Congress today!

As CTE Month 2022 kick offs, ACTE is releasing a new “What is CTE?” infographic to help CTE supporters inform about and advocate for CTE.

This resource provides an overview of CTE and highlights the benefits that CTE can provide for students, businesses and communities.

During CTE Month, we encourage you to share this resource with anyone new to CTE, including students and families; federal, state and local education and workforce leaders; policymakers; and the media.

Key Legislation 

In March 2021, Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tim Scott (R-SC) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Steve Stivers (R-OH), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Bryan Steil (R-WI) reintroduced S. 839/H.R. 2030, known as the College Transparency Act (CTA). The CTA, which had also been introduced in previous years, would establish a national postsecondary data reporting system to provide information on student outcomes, such as enrollment, completion and earnings, across postsecondary institutions and career fields. This bill is one of ACTE’s top legislative priorities. 

Background 

Currently, the Higher Education Act (HEA) prohibits the collection and reporting of student level outcomes, such as enrollment figures, completion rates and earnings numbers, across all postsecondary institutions in the United States. Without access to this data, students and their families do not have access to the most up-to-date data to make informed choices about their education and career goals, nor do employers have the resources and talent pipelines they need to fill positions in high-wage, in-demand career fields. The CTA would both eliminate the ban on federal student data collection and create a streamlined, secure data network within the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). 

The data would be disaggregated by race, ethnicity and gender to help identify inequities, while protecting students by prohibiting the sale of data and penalizing illegal data use, among other safeguards. The bill would require an accompanying  “user-friendly” website that is capable of returning data to states and institutions so they can use the information to inform their practices. 

Next Steps 

Currently, there are 30 cosponsors in the Senate and 69 in the House of Representatives for the CTA, however, there are a number of Members of Congress, including House Education and Labor Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) that have significant concerns about the bill, complicating its path forward. ACTE’s public policy team is continuing to urge Members of Congress to cosponsor the bill and advocating for its passage. While a full reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) is unlikely to move forward this year, it is still possible that the bill could be passed as part of a different legislative package, or it could gain traction as a standalone bill. 

Please continue to monitor ACTE’s Policy Watch blog for more information as this proposal continues to make its way through Congress!

With Congress in recess this week, action on CTE-related measures was limited. However, leaders in the House of Representatives released the text of the America COMPETES Act, a companion bill to the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act passed by the U.S. Senate last summer. This legislation contains several provisions with implications for CTE and workforce development programs. With debate on the Build Back Better Act stalled, the focus will turn to moving this bill through Congress. Stay tuned to CTE Policy Watch for more details as they come! In the meantime, both chambers will return to Washington as we get ready to kick off CTE Month! Here is the most important news from the past week: 

• House of Representatives Introduces America COMPETES Act: On March 25, House leadership unveiled the text of the America COMPETES Act of 2022, H.R. 4521. The legislation aims to improve U.S. economic competitiveness with China, improve critical supply chain function and more. In addition, the bill contains several provisions with implications for CTE, including the text of the previously House-passed National Apprenticeship Act (NAA), funding for TAACCCT grants and several other workforce development initiatives. The Senate passed its version of the legislation, known as the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), S. 1260, this past summer, and the House is expected to consider their version of the bill on the House floor soon.

• Federal Agencies To Host Webinar on Youth Work-Based Learning Guidelines: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from the Department of Labor, as well as the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) at the Department of Education will host a joint webinar entitled, “Frequently Asked Questions about Work-Based Learning Guidelines for Youth,” on February 3, 2022. During the webinar, presenters will discuss frequently asked questions about laws and regulations that apply when engaging youth in work-based learning. You can register for the webinar here.

• ACTE Releases Education and Training Sector Sheet: This winter, ACTE has created a new Sector Sheet on CTE’s role in developing the education and training workforce. It contains the latest details on occupational demand, the role CTE plays in preparing the workforce for this sector, and descriptions of exemplary programs in education and training. ACTE’s Sector Sheet series is generously supported by Pearson.

• Department of Education Releases Resource to Support Use of ARP-ESSER Funds: The Department of Education and the National Comprehensive Center released a new resource to help states share their progress deploying American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP-ESSER) funds. The ARP Partnership, Assistance, Transformation, and Heightened Support (ARP-PATHS) tool invites states to describe strategies they are implementing that could serve as promising practices for other states and the nation in ensuring that ARP-ESSER funds are used appropriately and effectively as intended by the law. The ARP-PATHS tool is available here.

• Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) Speaks with Punchbowl News on Economic Competitiveness: On January 25, Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), Senate CTE Caucus Co-Chair, spoke with Punchbowl News to discuss the bipartisan U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA), S. 1260, companion to the recently introduced America COMPETES Act in the House. Asked what should be done to address workforce shortages in high-tech fields, Sen. Young noted the need to skill, reskill and upskill workers to remain globally competitive.
   
• Secretary of Education Describes Department of Education Priorities: On Thursday morning, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona spoke to reaffirm the Department of Education’s top priorities for 2022 and beyond. Secretary Cardona discussed the four main priorities that will guide the department in the years to come – supporting recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing opportunity and achievement gaps, making higher education more accessible, and ensuring pathways through higher education leading to successful career opportunities.

• Vice President Harris Visits Milwaukee to Promote Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill: On January 24, Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership/BIG STEP program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to meet with residents affected by lead pipe contamination and the workers replacing lead pipes in the city to discuss how the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would help modernize American infrastructure.

• President Biden Visits Pittsburgh to Promote Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: On January 28, President Biden visited Pittsburgh to discuss how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help support and repair aging physical infrastructure like roads and bridges.