On Wednesday, acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee on the policies and priorities of the Department of Labor.  

During Su’s opening testimony, she highlighted many aspects of President Biden’s budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2025. She stated that the budget “includes major new investments through the $8 billion mandatory Career Training Fund and a new $50 million investment in the Sectoral Employment through Career Training for Occupational Readiness program, both of which will support the development and expansion of public-private partnerships between employers, education and training providers, and community-based groups to equitably deliver high-quality training focused on growing industries.”  

The hearing became contentious as members of the committee used their time to question Su on new regulations. House CTE Caucus co-chair Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-PA) expressed concerns about the proposed regulations regarding CTE programs and apprenticeships. He said that the rules would expand federal control over already successful programs. “Just because each of these are successful on their own does not mean the Department of Labor should have any role in forcing them together through regulation,” Thompson stated. 

In her response, Su replied that the intention of rules is to “braid together more connectivity,” and not to limit CTE programs.  

Thompson later added that the new rules would also require new CTE apprenticeships to adhere to new “industry skills frameworks,” which would dictate CTE curriculum in violation of federal law. 

ACTE submitted extensive comments regarding the proposed apprenticeship regulations back in March, and we continue to follow and weigh on this important conversation.  

A recording of hearing can be found here. 

Expanding the Role of the Four-year Institution for Seamless Success in Career Pathways: Advance CTE has published a brief that discusses the challenges facing postsecondary administrators in their efforts to ensure that learners seamlessly transition across two-and four-year institutions while also highlighting strategies at the state and local levels to overcome these challenges. Researchers discovered that approximately 80% of community college learners have the desire to transfer to a four-year college but only 33% of these earners end up completing a transfer.

Strategies and recommendations for policymakers and administrators are described below:

• Implement a regulated and uniform course numbering system to provide learners a clear understanding of courses that match between and across institutions.
• Ensure statewide guaranteed transfers of associate degrees to allow learners with this credential to receive all their credits and junior standing upon transferring.
• Collect and report disaggregated data to support four-year institutions in making more informed decisions.
• Incorporate learner voices into decision-making processes to better understand unique challenges and support student academic success.

One of the states highlighted in the report is Colorado, which is one of eight states across the nation that has all four of the ideal policies — reverse transfer, common course numbering, transferrable core courses and guaranteed transfer — named in the report. However, the state did not stop there in its efforts to support learners with initiatives such as the Bridge to Bachelor’s Degree Program saving students an average of $10,000 in expenses.

Adult Education Performance Reports: The U.S. Department of Education has released 2022-23 data for the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA). National AEFLA program year (PY) 2022-23 key metrics and insights are shared below:

• PY 2022-23 saw over 1.1 million enrollees for an annual increase of 22%, representing the largest consecutive growth of all WIOA core programs combined.
• Over 290,000 new youth participants ages 16-24 enrolled in PY 2022-23, which is twice the number participating in WIOA Title I Youth Programs.
• Enrollment for groups such as migrant/seasonal workers, low-income individuals, and youth experiencing homelessness or who have left home all increased in comparison to PY 2021-22 levels, with enrollment in corrections education growing by 16%.
• National performance went up across the board, with the largest rise coming from the Median Earnings during the Second Quarter after Exit indicator at a 9.1% increase.

How Rural Community College-Industry Partnerships Help Communities Thrive: A recently published National Skills Coalition report highlights the benefits that rural community college-industry partnerships bring to learners, employers and the economic prosperity of rural communities.

The report explores the diversity of rural communities, sharing that agriculture and mining make up less than 10% of rural jobs across the nation, with service and manufacturing jobs and small businesses playing major roles in the rural workforce. In addition, clean energy jobs represent a larger proportion of jobs available in rural areas than in urban centers and are growing at a faster rate.

Researchers interviewed 10 community college administrators and 13 issue-area experts across the nation who highlighted successful cases such as Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, which has eliminated silos between credit and noncredit programs and reorganized itself into eight schools organized by industry sector.

Key factors for success and scalable solutions include the following:

• Bridge siloes across systems and industries to prioritize student experiences and adapt to employer needs.
• Design industry partnership programs that help underrepresented learners build the skills and competencies required for good jobs and that lead to quality credentials.
• Invest in direct student financial aid to support learner access to postsecondary pathways and careers with local employers.
• Engage postsecondary administrators, teachers, industry, parents and students directly in the implementation process to allow them to share their nuanced understanding of potential solutions to the issues facing rural institutions.

ACTE has analyzed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 omnibus appropriations bill signed into law in March 2024, which contained over 130 projects that awarded funding to educational institutions, government agencies and nonprofit partners related to CTE and workforce development. Total funding for this year’s CTE-related earmarks equaled over $137 million.

The earmarks or congressionally directed spending opportunities allow Members of Congress to guarantee a specific amount for grantees for the direct benefit of their state or district. ACTE’s analysis of these FY 2024 earmarks found the following:

• CTE and workforce development projects funded through the U.S. Department of Education Higher Education Act account received $75.6 million through 72 earmarks.
• CTE and workforce development projects funded through the U.S. Department of Labor Education and Training Administration account received $43.5 million through 36 earmarks.
• CTE-related projects funded through the U.S. Department of Education Innovation and Improvement account received $18.8 million through 30 earmarks.

Thirty-three states received funding earmarked for CTE-related projects in FY 2024 with Kansas receiving the most money, totaling $8.56 million, and West Virginia receiving the most earmarks with 10 total projects funded. CTE and workforce development projects that received the most funding are listed below:

• $6 million for Midlands Technical College in South Carolina
• $4.675 million for Fox Valley Workforce Development Board in Wisconsin
• $4 million for Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus in Kansas
• $4 million for Henry Ford College in Michigan

In addition to these projects, additional CTE and workforce development projects were funded through organizations like unions and hospitals, so we encourage you to check out the FY 2024 appropriations bill to see more earmarks in your state that may be of relevance to CTE.

Today ACTE published CTE: Developing the Arts, Media and Entertainment Workforce as part of our revamped series of Sector Sheets describing CTE’s role in growing the workforce for vital industry sectors. The Sector Sheet series is published with support from ACTE's long-time partner Pearson.  

This Sector Sheet describes how CTE supports the arts, media and entertainment workforce, which employs about 3 million people nationwide. It also shares information on occupations, earnings and credentials that enable individuals to succeed in the animation, game design and visual effects; performance, music and live entertainment; and media production sub-sectors.

In addition, the Sector Sheet demonstrates the importance of CTE in developing this workforce by describing how CTE prepares learners through courses, industry credentials, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and more. 

Both the newer and older Sector Sheets are available on the ACTE Sector Sheet webpage for download and use. We encourage you to share these tools with students, families, counselors, policymakers and others to spread the message about CTE and its benefits for learners and the workforce.  

Congress took recess most of last week after the final passage of the emergency foreign aid supplemental to provide funding for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other security interests. As Capitol Hill was quiet, the media focused largely on growing protests on college campuses and Supreme Court activity. The Administration was also busy, announcing several new grant programs and federal regulations while hosting the Attaining College Excellence and Equity Summit. 

• Senate Appropriations Committee Announces Hearing to Review the Administration’s Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Bill Request: The Senate Appropriations Committee announced a hearing this week, during which Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will testify on the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget request for the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Bill. 
• House Committee on Education and the Workforce Announces Full Committee Hearing: The House Committee on Education and the Workforce announced a hearing for this week, “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Labor,” to hear testimony from Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su.  
• Biden-Harris Administration to Create National Recognition Program for Institutions that Increase Economic Mobility: Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced that the Department of Education will develop a new Postsecondary Student Success Recognition Program to uplift higher ed institutions that support student success. 
• Department of Labor Announces Funding for Career Training Services: The Department of Labor announced $49.2 in available funds for career training services in the Appalachian, Lower Mississippi Delta and Northern Border regions. This is part of the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Initiative. 
• The Department of Education’s Office for Career and Technical Adult Education (OCTAE) Updated their Community College Page: OCTAE updated their website to provide more community college facts and resources. Information regarding current initiatives, funding opportunities and other background facts and information are readily available. 
• Department of Education Announced Semifinalists for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program: The Department of Education announced the semifinalists for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, including nearly 60 students enrolled in CTE programming. Finalists are normally announced in early summer. 
• Department of Agriculture (USDA) To Invest in Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s (AFRI) Education and Workforce Development Program: USDA has $49.5 million to invest in the AFRI Education and Workforce Development program, and will expand job-based experiential learning opportunities to prepare students for the workforce. 
• Department of Labor Adds New Federally Funded Projects to Promote Equal Access to Good Jobs, per the Investing in America Agenda: The Department of Labor announced the addition of 16 large infrastructure projects, funded through the Administration’s $2 trillion Investing in America agenda, to the Mega Construction Project Program. 
• Department of Labor Announces New Overtime Rule: The Administration announced a final rule updating overtime rules for millions of lower-income salaried employees. The new rule raises salary thresholds required to exempt a salaried executive, administrative or professional employee from federal overtime pay requirements. Read more on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. 

This week, the Administration announced a final rule updating overtime rules for millions of lower-income salaried employees. The new rule raises salary thresholds required to exempt a salaried executive, administrative or professional employee from federal overtime pay requirements. Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, shared that, “This rule will restore the promise to workers that if you work more than 40 hours in a week, you should be paid more for that time.”

The new rule takes effect July 1, 2024, and will increase the overtime salary threshold from $35,568 to $43,888. The salary threshold will increase again to $58,568 on January 1, 2025. Additionally, the rule will adjust the threshold for highly compensated employees, and salary thresholds will be updated every three years by applying current wage data to determine new levels. The Department drafted this new rule after consulting and engaging with employers, workers, unions and other stakeholders and received approximately 33,000 comments in developing its final rule – although not all stakeholders supported the increases

This rule will take effect for some school district employees, including school nurses, athletic trainers and librarians. However, both secondary and postsecondary teachers and school administrators are exempt from the federal overtime rule.

The Department of Labor received a request from the National Education Association to end exemptions for teachers, given that they do not currently qualify for mandatory overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Department shared that they would require a separate rulemaking process to consider a change of that nature.

Proponents of the rule argue that employees should have the predictability of guaranteed overtime pay, and that it will benefit those who are currently overworked and underpaid. Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-PA) on the House Committee for Education and the Workforce shared, “This rule is good for workers, good for businesses, and good for our economy.”

Opponents of the rule argue it will force secondary and postsecondary institutions to come up with millions of dollars in increased wages. This poses difficulties for postsecondary institutions struggling with constraints on tuition revenue and state funds, and for secondary school districts with limited budgets. Education leaders have been preparing for this shift for months, but may need to redirect efforts/resources toward recordkeeping and tracking hours for more employees. Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee argued that, “The new overtime rule forces businesses to make a choice: eliminate jobs, gut wages, or raise prices on families already feeling the affordability crunch under President Biden.”

The new rules are likely to be challenged in court, so could be delayed during that process.

This week, the main focus in Congress was on efforts to pass a foreign aid supplemental spending bill. While those discussions were occurring, the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education subcommittee continued with their budget hearings, welcoming testimony from Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. Meanwhile, the Department of Education continued to work on the challenges presented with the new FAFSA as well as other projects. 

• The Federal Student Aid office at the Department of Education Announces Corrections Availability on FAFSA: The Department of Education made student corrections broadly available for FAFSA applicants last week, now processing almost 100,000 corrections. To make corrections to a FAFSA form, visit StudentAid.gov. 
• Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su Testifies before House Appropriations Committee: Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, testified before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education on Wednesday. She addressed concerns with the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget request, including some concerns for the new regulations and funding for registered apprenticeships. 
• House holds hearing on WEP and GPO: The House Subcommittee on Social Security held a hearing on the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset, debating effective ways to reform the system and ensure equity in social security support provided to public service workers. This directly impacts teachers who began their teaching careers after working in the private sector in some states. Read more on the CTE Policy Watch Blog.  
• ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Senators to Support Funding for Perkins CTE in FY 2025: Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), longtime CTE advocate, is currently circulating an important “Dear Colleague” letter addressed to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. The letter requests robust funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. Read more on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. 
• Skills-based Hiring for Contractors Advances in the House: The House Oversight and Accountability Committee advanced legislation to remove degree requirements for many federal contract employees, expanding the federal government’s recent shift toward skills-based hiring to include federal contractors as well.  
• Department of Education Added new Trainings and Design to Registered Apprenticeship Academy: The Registered Apprenticeship Academy now has new training modules and has been redesigned for user-friendly accessibility.  
• First Lady Visits North Carolina to Discuss the State’s Dual Enrollment Model: First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited North Carolina this week to discuss innovative learning programs, like dual enrollment, to build partnerships and pathways between academics and careers. 
• Biden-Harris Administration Releases First Set of Draft Rules to Provide Debt Relief: The Biden-Harris Administration released a set of draft rules to propose student debt relief.  
• Department of Education Releases Final Title IX Rules: On April 19, the Department released a final revised rule under Title IX, related to how educational institutions receiving federal aid must ensure they are prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex. More details on this new rule will be coming soon.