With a little over three weeks left in recess, Member of Congress continued to work in their districts and communities. Because they plan to work on appropriations when they get back to DC, this is a great opportunity to connect locally with your policymakers to advocate for greater CTE funding! Meanwhile, the Department of Education has been working on new and existing projects such as FAFSA implementation, and the Department of Labor continues to update resources on workforce development. Keep reading for more details! 

• Department of Education Launches CTE CHIPS Challenge with $1M Prize Pool: The Department of Education launched the CTE CHIPS Challenge, a $1 million multi-phase prize competition to expand student recruitment, training and placement strategies in semiconductor fabrication (fab) construction and advanced manufacturing careers aligned with the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS). Learn more on the CTE Policy Watch Blog.  

• Education and the Workforce Committee Questions Department of Education’s Push to Implement Changes to Perkins: House Education and the Workforce Committee Chair Virginia Foxx and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chair Aaron Bean sent a letter to Secretary Cardona with concerns about proposed revisions to Perkins state plans and reporting processes that will place major burdens on state agencies, school districts and postsecondary institutions that implement CTE programs. ACTE has also been pushing back against these changes. 

• Agenda for the 2024 Lame Duck Session of Congress: Congress is not in session until after the November election, but when lawmakers return, they will be coming back to a long to-do list. The first thing on their list will likely be government funding. Read more about their agenda on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. 

• Department of Education Announces Successful First Round of FAFSA Testing: The Department of Education announced the launch of their second stage of testing for the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The first round was completed successfully, and several updated resources were announced, including a Financial Aid Toolkit. 

• Department of Labor Releases Artificial Intelligence (AI) Resource: The Department of Labor released an “AI Best Practices” roadmap to ensure emerging technologies enhance job quality and benefit workers.  

• Department of Labor Released Updated WIOA Resources: The Department of Labor shared updated resources from the National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advantage of People with Disabilities, a WIOA policy development center.  

• Department of Labor Updates On-the-Job Training Tools: The Department of Labor updated their On-the-Job Training toolkit. They will host a webinar on October 28 to discuss these updates to the toolkit and best strategies for implementation.  

This week, the U.S. Department of Education launched the CTE CHIPS Challenge, a $1 million multi-phase prize competition to expand student recruitment, training and placement strategies in semiconductor fabrication (fab) construction and advanced manufacturing careers aligned with the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS). Learn how you can take advantage of this opportunity with the first CTE CHIPS Challenge informational webinar on October 29.

Through this Challenge, the Department invites educators to submit innovative action plans by December 20 to:

• Increase students’ opportunities to develop skills and experiences that better prepare them CHIPS-aligned careers;
• Expand student recruitment, training and placement strategies in these high-skill, high-wage in-demand careers; and
• Support teachers in building out CTE programs.

Semi-finalists and finalists will be eligible to receive targeted technical assistance, opportunities to learn from subject experts, access to peer networks, recognition on a national scale and a portion of the $1 million prize pool.

Join the CTE CHIPS Challenge Community and encourage others in your network to do the same. Learn more at CTECHIPSChallenge.com.

Congress is not in session until after the November election, but when lawmakers return, they will be coming back to a long to-do list.  

The first and most important item on the list is government funding. Funding is currently authorized through a continuing resolution (CR) that lasts until December 20, and appropriators are actively negotiating a fiscal year (FY) 2025 spending package. The results of the election may determine if another CR into 2025 is needed or if the process can be wrapped up before the 119th Congress is sworn in. Many in both parties, including House Appropriation Chair Tom Cole (R-OK), would prefer that final appropriations bills are wrapped up in December. 

Other pieces of legislation that are considered “must pass” are the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Farm Bill. The House passed their NDAA in June while the Senate has yet to bring a bill to the floor. Similar to the appropriations process, the leadership of the House and Senate Armed Services committees are negotiating a final package that will hopefully receive a vote in December. Not as much progress has been made on the Farm Bill, and some pieces of that bill have technically already expired. Lawmakers in both chambers have expressed concern over the lack of progress, and it is becoming more likely that Congress will need to pass an extension, similar to the extension that was passed in December 2023. Both the Farm Bill or extension and the NDAA could be targets for other, unrelated policies or programs to be attached as they move through Congress.  

In the Senate, the main focus for the chamber will be confirming appointments to the federal judiciary before a new presidential Administration succeeds the Biden Administration. That will not leave much time to take up legislation that is not considered “must pass.” Legislation that could fall victim to the tight schedule includes a reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have been engaging with their House counterparts, Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) on negotiations around this bill. Even if these four leaders come to an agreement, there may not be enough floor time available in the Senate to pass a final package.  

As the lame duck session begins next month, ACTE will be sure to you in the loop as new developments

Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) recently released a report and data tool concerning credential shortages and high-wage, middle-skills occupations. The report concludes that many providers will need to more than double the number of credentials they award to avoid local shortages.

Specifically, CEW examined the production of workers with “middle-skills” credentials (certificates and associates degrees) across U.S. metro areas with over one million residents and compared the current production rates with the projected number of job openings for these workers by 2032. CEW defines high-wage, middle-skills occupations as ones where more than half of early-career, middle-skills workers earn more than $53,000 annually, in 2022 dollars. Some occupations that fall within this definition include power plant operators, nuclear technicians and database administrators. 

Some critical findings that CEW discusses in the report include: 

• The biggest mismatch between credentials and jobs will be in the high-paying, blue-collar sector. Annually, the country will face a shortage of more than 360,000 credentials for these occupations, including most major metros areas.  

• While some metro areas will produce far more middle-skills management credentials than necessary, the majority will face a moderate to severe shortage of locally produced workers with these credentials. 

• In most major metro areas, protective services will experience credential shortages in the high-earning, middle-skills category. 

• Several major metro areas are overproducing middle-skills credentials for high-paying STEM jobs, while some larger STEM hubs like Boston, New York and Washington, DC, will face shortages as will a number of rural areas.   

• The only occupational group with a projected nationwide oversupply of middle-skills credentials is health care. 

For individuals interested in analyzing and comparing trends across metro areas, the data tool allows you to select specific metro areas and occupational groups of interest to examine and draw conclusions from. For instance, the tool indicates that the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro area produces significantly more workers with credentials for middle-skills, high-paying management occupations compared to many other metro areas, such as New York-Newark-Jersey City and Boston-Cambridge-Newton.  

Employers, jobseekers, students and other stakeholders interested in examining the projected match among middle-skills credentials and the job market are encouraged to use and share this resource and information.  

There was still minimal activity on Capitol Hill this week while Congress is on recess. This is, however, a fantastic time to meet with your lawmakers while they are at home in states and districts. A school visit or a community event is a good opportunity to connect and make the case for CTE! With Congress out, most activity this week comes from the Administration. They have announced several new funding opportunities and resources for workforce development and postsecondary institutions. Keep reading for more information! 

• Department of Education Postsecondary Success Recognition Program: The Department of Education launched the Postsecondary Success Recognition Program earlier this year to recognize institutions that support students to complete programs that will prepare them for the workforce and to give back to their communities. The Department has released a list of 200 institutions that are eligible for this recognition – 100 of which are predominantly associate or certificate-granting institutions. Those institutions must now apply for recognition by November 1 at 5:00pm ET. Check to see if your institution is on the list!  

• Department of Education Publishes Digital Equity Resource: The Department of Education published a new guide, “Advancing Digital Equity for All” which is comprised of community-based recommendations for developing digital equity plans to amend digital disparities in the classroom. 

• Department of Labor Announces New Funding Opportunity: The Department of Labor announced up to $40 million in funding for the Workforce Pathways for Youth Grant Program, with the intention of expanding workforce readiness programming. This funding will expand workforce readiness programming by providing job training and career exploration and creating work-based learning opportunities.  

• Department of Labor Webinar Highlighting Strengthening Community College Training Grants (SCC): The Department of Labor is hosting a webinar on October 22 to discuss progress made by SCC grantees. This will provide attendees with actionable ideas and practical advice to bring to their own programs and schools.  

• National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Commerce (DOC) Announced $30 Million to Boost Microelectronics Workforce: The NSF and DOC announced $30 million in funding over the next six years to establish a National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME). Eligible applicants include higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations. The deadline to apply is October 28 at 4:00pm ET. 

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Launches Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program: The FCC is launching a program to provide up to $200 million to selected participants to support cybersecurity services and protect school and library broadband networks and data.  

As part of its Unlocking Career Success initiative, the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) recently released an English Learner Playbook, a guide for how educators, students, families, policymakers, and other stakeholders can best bring career-connected learning opportunities to English learners (ELs). The playbook also addresses the importance of multilingualism, another key priority for the Secretary of Education.  

The English Learner Playbook contains suggestions and resources for strengthening opportunities for ELs tailored to various groups. For example, a section for local leaders discusses collaboration between educational and industry leaders, state leaders are advised to consider innovative funding models to fund these efforts, and educators are encouraged to engage with families in decision-making about their student’s educational options. The playbook also describes why it is beneficial to engage ELs in career pathways, citing studies, similar programs and other initiatives that resulted in positive outcomes for ELs. 

Educators, students, families, policymakers, and other stakeholders, particularly those who work with ELs and are concerned about career pathways, are encouraged to share and utilize the playbook to uplift the opportunities available to ELs. 

You can learn more about serving ELs in CTE through our brief, “Supporting English Learners in CTE,” produced with our partners at Advance CTE.  

Capitol Hill was quiet this week with Congress recessed until after the election. The Department of Labor has been active, announcing several new grant opportunities with a focus on apprenticeships for underserved youth and women in nontraditional occupations. They’ve also updated resources on outreach and industry. Keep reading for more updates! 

• Department of Labor Announces $20 Million in Grants Available for Out-of-School Time: The Department of Labor announced up to $20 million in grants to expand work-based learning opportunities, job training and career pathways for underserved youth after school and during summer. Applications are due December 3.  

• Department of Labor Announced $6 Million in Grants to Expand Job Opportunities for Women in Apprenticeships, Nontraditional Occupations: The Department of Labor announced the award of new grants to help recruit, train and retain women in quality pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs and nontraditional occupations. 

• Department of Labor Updated Resource on Outreach to Business on Apprenticeships: The Department of Labor updated their resource on developing outreach strategies and materials to business partners in support of apprenticeship expansion. 

• Department of Labor Industry Focus Calls: The Department of Labor shared the transcripts and summaries of their Industry Focus calls related to apprenticeship expansion conducted from 2019-2024. The calls can help employers and other stakeholders gain insights to use in growing apprenticeships.  

• Department of Labor Webinar: The Department of Labor is hosting a webinar “Be Pro, Be Proud: Building Tomorrow’s Workforce” to offer students, parents and teachers new perspectives on high-demand technical careers in construction, manufacturing, transportation, utilities and other sectors. 

• Update on FAFSA: Secretary Cardona addressed public concerns on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as the Department of Education began their testing period for the updated 2025-25 FAFSA form. Check out the blog for more information and resources on this year’s FAFSA process. 

• Department of Education Seeking Peer Reviewers: Each year, the Department of Education convenes panels of education professionals and practitioners to peer review grants. They are currently in search of peer reviewers, so apply if interested.