Conditions For Sustainable and Equitable Pathways Systems: Advance CTE has published a resource analyzing progress made by Launch, a national initiative led by five organizations working to ensure all students have access to high-quality and equitable college and career pathways. The partnership identified a framework of five levers critical to driving change and highlights examples from states. 

• Policy: Effective policies take a systemic approach, encompassing multiple systems and incorporating best practices and data. For example, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future establishes clear goals ensuring students are prepared for successful careers, such as benchmarks for how many students graduate with an industry-recognized credential.
• Funding: Funding must provide states with the resources they need to build successful pathways to meet labor market demand. For instance, Delaware passed legislation that aligns federal, state, institutional and private funding streams to support Delaware Pathways. 
• Partnerships: Partnerships between systems and institutions must not only be built but also sustained and improved over time. Massachusetts’ Connecting Activities program is an example of establishing strong relationships between employers, schools and the state’s workforce boards to develop career training opportunities for students. 
• Data: State data systems should span education and workforce to identify outcomes and facilitate collaboration. For instance, created in 2021, the Virginia Office of Education Economics informs education and workforce policy by providing robust data alongside key partners across the state. 
• Equity: College and career pathways must be accessible, flexible and made available to all students. For example, Indiana supports credit for prior learning (CPL) by providing a searchable database for CPL options across the state. 

Current Term Enrollment Estimates – Fall 2024: The National Student Clearinghouse recently released fall 2024 postsecondary enrollment data. Important takeaways include: 

• Total postsecondary enrollment grew by 4.5% from last fall. For the second year in a row, double-digit growth occurred at public two-year institutions with a high vocational program focus, increasing 13.6%.  
• Freshman enrollment growth was the strongest at community colleges, increasing 7.1%.  
• Enrollment for dual enrollment students increased by 10.2% from last fall. In addition, enrollment of students aged 25 and above grew faster than students aged 18-20 and 21-24. 
• For the fourth consecutive year, undergraduate certificate enrollment grew, increasing by 9.9%. In addition, associate degree program enrollment increased by 6.3%. 
• Among major fields at two-year institutions, growth was highest for construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, precision production, and health professionals and related clinical sciences.  

This data highlights the growing relevance of postsecondary CTE as more students seek programs that prepare them for high-demand, high-paying careers. 

The Speed of Skill Change: Lightcast published a report comparing job postings between 2021 to 2024 to identify changes in required skills. Skills for the average job have changed by one-third, while one in four jobs has experienced a 75% change in skills. 

The report also details three key industries that are creating major skills disruptions for jobs: 

• AI: The demand for AI skills has exploded in recent years, with generative AI postings up 15,625% from 2021 to 2024. 
• Green/sustainability skills: Increased action from the federal government, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the emergence of green energy to power AI and other data centers has bolstered the need for workers with green skills. 
• Cybersecurity: The cybersecurity workforce has been expanding significantly since 2013 and is in demand across a wide range of sectors. 

Finally, the report includes workforce planning tips for organizations seeking to understand more about each of these industries. 

A Case for Equity in Experimental Learning: An article by Madhumita Banerjee and Kaila Bingen in the December 2024 edition of Experimental Learning and Teaching in Higher Education explored whether an alternative course could serve as a substitute for internships for students who might not have access to them. The researchers studied a specific course at a small, public four-year Midwestern university that serves a disproportionately high percentage of disadvantaged students.  

The course, a standard three-credit college course, was developed in response to the university prioritizing building career success for students after finding that very few students ever complete an internship. The curriculum focuses on career development and preparation for students’ futures, including building resumes, developing interview experience, and increasing students’ confidence to apply for a professional position, graduate school or pursue any other pathway they choose. 

Statistical analysis revealed that students taking this course achieved significant improvement in all eight career competencies measured in the study (career and self-development, critical thinking, professionalism, leadership, communication, teamwork, technology, and equity and inclusion). Leadership emerged as the most improved competency, followed by both critical thinking and career and self-development. 

The House and Senate CTE Caucuses are once again leading the annual CTE Month Resolutions to mark February as CTE Month. House CTE Caucus co-chairs, Reps. Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), have introduced the resolution in the House. Senate CTE Caucus co-chairs Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced the resolution in the Senate.  

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

These resolutions recognize February 2025 as CTE Month. CTE Month is a critical time in raising awareness of the role that CTE plays in connecting learners to high-wage, in-demand career opportunities that are vital to building a 21st-century workforce and strengthening the American economy.  

Strong support for the CTE Month Resolution will help to ensure that CTE is a priority for the 119th Congress . Using ACTE’s Action Center, you can identify your Members of Congress and send a message to their office to ask them to co-sponsor the Resolution. If you have direct contacts in your Members’ offices, we urge you to call or email them directly.  

House members have the entire month of February to cosponsor the Resolution. Representatives can sign on as a cosponsor of the House CTE Month Resolution by contacting: 

• Brian Arata (brian.arata@mail.house.gov) in Rep. Thompson’s office 

• Allie Pearce (allie.pearce@mail.house.gov) in Rep. Bonamici’s office 

The deadline for the Senate Resolution is January 31. Senators can sign on as a cosponsor of the Senate CTE Month Resolution by contacting: 

• Rebecca Howard (rebecca_howard@kaine.senate.gov) in Sen. Kaine’s office 

Update #2: Early afternoon on January 29, the Office of Management and Budget issued a new memo rescinding the previous one. This may allow most federal funds to be disbursed for now, although next steps remain uncertain. 

Update #1: On the evening of Janary 28, after this blog was published, a federal judge issued a temporary halt to implementation of the pause, through Feb. 3, pending further hearings. It is unclear at this time what impact the court order will have on the process. 

Last night, the Trump Administration announced a temporary pause of agency grant, loan and other financial assistance programs. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memo ordering all agency heads to pause all federal assistance programs. The order takes effect at 5pm today.  

By February 10, agencies are to report all “programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated” and in the meantime, “to the extent permissible under applicable law” stop all obligations or disbursements of federal funds, including new and existing awards and “other relevant agency actions that may be implicated by the executive orders.” OMB can make exemptions, and this order does not apply to assistance provided directly to individuals. 

Federal agencies are additionally ordered to withdraw previously published award solicitations and “cancel awards already awarded that are in conflict with Administrative priorities” to the extent allowed by law.   

This pause should not affect most K-12 formula grant programs like Perkins in the short term, as most funding from education-related formula grants for this school year has already been distributed by the Department of Education (for example, FY 2024 Perkins funds became available to states on July 1 and October 1 of last year). Other programs that are funded on a different schedule or where more regular payments are made from the federal government could be impacted.   

The memo also notes that the pause does not apply to programs providing benefits directly to individuals. While there has been mixed information throughout the day, the latest information we have makes is that Pell grants will continue to be distributed without delay, at least for now. This interpretation could change again though, as official guidance has not been released from the Department of Education.  

The order has already seen several legal challenges. The timeline of when these challenges will be argued in court is not yet known.  

We know this is a challenging situation for those that rely on federal funding. There are many uncertainties, and information and interpretations have been rapidly changing throughout the day. We will continue to keep you updated on how this could impact the field as we learn more and more guidance is issued. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Jimmy Koch (jkoch@acteonline.org).   

In the meantime, the best way to address any funding pause you or your institutions may be experiencing is to contact your Members of Congress with specific examples and ask them to intervene.  

Today, ACTE released two updated fact sheets – “What is CTE?” and “CTE Works!” – to equip CTE advocates with essential information and resources.

• The “What is CTE?” fact sheet offers a general overview of CTE’s benefits for students, businesses and communities to grab the
  attention of anyone new to CTE, including students and families, industry leaders, policymakers and the media.  
• The “CTE Works!” fact sheet highlights research that details the positive impact of CTE on student academic achievement, earnings and employment outcomes; employer talent shortages; and state economies. 

We encourage you to share these resources with students and families, CTE teachers and administrators, education policymakers, workforce leaders, the media and other stakeholders interested in learning more about CTE and advocating for it. Spanish language versions of these fact sheets will be available soon. 

Last week, the Trump Administration started their term with a slew of executive orders (EOs), many of which will take time to implement. They are also working on staffing and organizing day-to-day operations. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers continue to work to establish the agenda for the 119th Congress. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held their organizing executive session, and the entire chamber worked through the weekend to confirm two Trump cabinet members. Keep reading for more! 

• Trump Administration Announces New Executive Orders: In the initial days of President Donald Trump’s second term, he has signed several EOs that may have significant implications for education. These include an EO that orders a federal hiring freeze at agencies for 90 days, as well as several orders restricting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.. Learn more about the new executive orders and how they will impact CTE on the blog.  

• Negotiations Continue on Funding Bills: While no final decisions have been announced, negotiations continued behind the scenes this week on two major funding efforts: a reconciliation bill and FY 25 funding. In regard to FY 25 funding, House and Senate leaders from both parties have been discussing overall totals for the bill, known as “toplines” that are the first step toward allowing individual bills to be drafted. On reconciliation, Republican leaders are still discussing which approach will allow them to pass more of their funding-related priorities on a simple majority vote.  

• Senate HELP Committee Held Executive Session: The Senate HELP Committee held an executive session to formally organize the committee for the 119th Congress. Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) discussed education goals for the committee, which included tackling literacy rates and social issues on college campuses. Sen. Cassidy and Ranking Member Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also welcomed new members of the committee – the full list of new Senators on the HELP Committee can be found on the blog! 

• Trump Administration  Works to Staff Department of Education: President Trump announced that Denise Carter will serve as Acting Education Secretary until Linda McMahon is confirmed by the Senate (confirmation hearings have not been scheduled yet). Carter has served as chief operating officer in the federal student aid office since July 2024 and in the Department of Health and Human Services as deputy assistant secretary for human resources. In addition, a number of other senior staff have been announced, although we are still waiting on appointments in the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education.  

• Department of Education Begins Work to Implement EOs: The Department of Education has begun work to eliminate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) references within its materials and other steps to implement the EOs recently signed by the President. Support materials and resources related to DEI will no longer be available on agency websites and all DEI-related initiatives, training, policies and contracts will be eliminated or removed within 60 days. Read ACTE’s blog about the recent executive orders for more information. 

In the initial days of President Donald Trump’s second term, he has signed several executive orders (EO) that may have significant implications for education. Shortly after taking the Oath of Office, President Trump signed an EO that orders a federal hiring freeze at agencies for 90 days. This order would prevent agencies like the Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) from hiring additional career staff to implement CTE programs.

President Trump also made diversity, equity and inclusion a top area of focus. The first DEI order would end DEI programs across federal agencies. This EO mandates the cessation of DEI-related initiatives, training, policies, and contracts within 60 days, leading to the removal of DEI resources from agency websites and the cancellation of associated training and service contracts.

On Tuesday, President Trump signed a second DEI related EO, which declares that DEI policies and programs can violate federal civil rights laws and directs federal agencies to combat illegal private sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies and activities. The EO also directs each federal agency to identify up to nine corporations or associations, large foundations, or colleges with endowments over $1 billion as potential targets for “civil compliance investigations.”

It is important to keep in mind that these EOs do not change current law related to Perkins or other education programs, so requirements around things like disaggregated data reporting and addressing gaps in performance are not impacted at this time.

President Trump also took actions to rescind many of the EO’s President Biden signed during his term. This includes several on discrimination related to gender identity and sexual orientation, the reopening of schools during the pandemic and President Biden’s priorities on advancing equity to various minority populations.

In the case of many of the Executive Orders, more information and guidance will be needed from the Department of Education before the impact on school districts or postsecondary institutions can be fully determined. A number of the EOs are likely to be challenged in court as well.

In the coming weeks, ACTE will continue to track all EO’s that could have an impact on education. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Jimmy Koch (jkoch@acteonline.org).  

In its final week, the Biden Administration continued to wrap up projects and conclude their work. Next week, the Trump Administration will take office (you can learn more about what this might mean for federal CTE policy in a recent article from CalMatters), and we will soon start to hear about more political appointments to positions at the Departments of Education and Labor. Meanwhile, the 119th Congress is well under way and both chambers have largely established committee leadership and membership. The Senate has been busy with confirmation hearings for the Trump Administration’s cabinet nominees. Keep on reading for more details!

• Thompson Introduces Skills Investment Act: Reps. Thompson, Bonamici, Fitzpatrick and Schneider introduced the bipartisan Skills Investment Act, endorsed by ACTE. The bill aims to expand tax-advantaged savings opportunities for learners pursuing CTE and workforce training programs through Coverdell education savings accounts (ESAs). Workers would be eligible to use Coverdell accounts to pay for skills training, apprenticeships and professional development.
• House Committee on Education and Workforce Organizing Meeting: The House Committee on Education and Workforce held an organizing meeting. Committee leadership announced new members to the committee, rules and procedures, and an agenda for the upcoming congressional session. Learn more on the blog!
• Senate HELP Committee Announces Organizing Meeting: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, now under the leadership of Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), will hold its first executive session of the 119th Congress to review procedural resolutions and formally organize the committee. The meeting is on January 21 and will be available to livestream.
• President-Elect Trump Nominates Penny Schwinn as Deputy Secretary of Education: On January 17, the president-elect announced he would nominate former TN State Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn to join the Department of Education as deputy secretary. Schwinn also has experience in other state education departments and as a Teach for America teacher and charter school founder.
• Biden Administration Finalizes New Rules for Perkins Reporting: This week, the Administration finalized a new set of rules that will impact CTE programs by changing rules for federal reporting under the Perkins CTE Act. We will provide detailed analysis of the changes to accountability indicator definitions soon. However, it is possible that the new Administration will repeal or revise these changes through a new proposal.
• Department of Education Capstone Event: The Department of Education held a capstone event this week, “The Impact: Our Fight for Public Education.” The event summarized the Administration’s work through the Department of Education, highlighting a call to action and work to still be done. This event was accompanied by other media discussing their work, including a video on CTE.
• Biden Administration Recognizes 336 Teachers and Mentors: President Biden announced 336 teachers and mentors as recipients of Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) and the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). Recipients included individuals who taught and mentored students in STEM education and the workforce.
• ACTE’s 2024 Year-in-Review: As we kick off the new year, check out some of the highlights in the CTE policy and advocacy space from 2024, and help us ring in 2025 with some New Year’s advocacy resolutions and goals. Read more on the blog!