This week, it was a relatively quiet week in Washington, but the Administration was busy with workforce development initiatives and efforts to welcome students back to school and prepare for the upcoming year. There is only one week left of August recess, so stay tuned for updates on Congress as Members wrap up their time in states and districts and make their way back to the Capitol. Keep reading for more! 

• Acting Secretary Su Discuss Workforce Development and Visits Apprentice School in Virginia: Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro visited the Apprentice School in Newport News to highlight its contributions to aircraft carrier construction. They each delivered remarks on the quality of jobs and on workforce development. 

• National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education Program: The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program opened their application period. This program supports curriculum development, professional development for secondary and postsecondary educators and career pathways development. 

• Department of Education Releases 2025-26 FAFSA Testing Framework: The Department of Education released the framework for the testing period it will use starting October 1 ahead of making the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available to all students and contributors on December 1.  

• Secretary Cardona to Begin Back to School Bus Tour Next Week: Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is launching the Department’s 2024 Back to School Bus Tour, which will visit multiple states and showcase the work of schools, families and communities. Stay tuned for more updates. 

With approximately two months to go before the November 5 general election, we are kicking off our Election Watch 2024 coverage! We’ll be sharing information and resources over the next few months to help you prepare for the election, and then coverage of the implications of election results on CTE policy moving forward.  

Below are some important initial resources to help you participate in the upcoming elections! Remember that this election will provide you with a say in who serves in local offices, state offices, the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Oval office. All seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election, in addition to 34 U.S. Senate seats and 13 state gubernatorial seats, as well as many state legislative seats and local policymaker offices. We will share more resources over the next two months, so be on the lookout. Every election, regardless of the office, has the potential to influence policy that impacts our daily lives. These resources will help you create a plan to vote and make your voice heard! 

Remember, ACTE is a 501(c)(3) organization. That means that as an organization, we are prohibited from participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Because of this, all information shared leading up to the election will be strictly nonpartisan. For help accessing or utilizing any of these resources, don’t hesitate to reach out! Follow ACTE’s policy-focused X (formerly Twitter) for updates on voter registration, early voting and more! 

Resources: 

Find your state’s voter registration deadline 

Register to vote 

Request an absentee ballot 

Find your state’s early voting schedule 

Find your local election office 

This week, the Department of Labor shared some new resources for youth engagement and Apprenticeships, while the Department of Education encountered a setback from the Supreme Court. Congress is still on recess; they plan to return to Washington, D.C. in two weeks. Remember to take advantage of this time and connect with your Members of Congress locally and advocate for CTE!  

• ACTE Submits Comments on Regulations: In partnership with Advance CTE, ACTE submitted comments on proposed regulatory changes to the definition of “distance education.”  These comments reflected ACTE’s interest in preserving access to postsecondary CTE programs offered through asynchronous distance education at clock hour institutions like area CTE centers. We urged the Department to retain existing flexibilities in the federal regulatory definition for distance education. 

• Department of Labor Announces Webinar to Explore Youth Engagement in Workforce Development: The Department of Labor’s Division of Youth Services announced a webinar on August 28 exploring the different frameworks of youth engagement in the decision-making process of workforce development.  

• Department of Labor Shares New Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) In Apprenticeship Resource: The Department of Labor shared some resources to ensure that good jobs and career pathways are available through Registered Apprenticeship to all workers. These resources include toolkits and outlines to systemic approaches to advance DEIA in Apprenticeship. 

• Department of Labor Shares Resources on Entrepreneurial Skills Training for Youth: The Department of Labor shared new resources on teaching youth entrepreneurial skills including webcasts, webinars, guides for program development and curriculum. As one of the 14 program elements for the WIOA Youth program, entrepreneurial skills training is designed to help youth develop skills such as initiative, creativity and communication.  

• Department of Agriculture Announces Grants with Heartland Regional Food Business Center: The Department of Agriculture and Heartland Regional Food Business Center have announced $3.7 million in grants to support small, mid-sized and diverse food and farm businesses in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and northwest Arkansas. The grants are designed to help build these businesses and create jobs. 

• Supreme Court Upholds Block on Title IX Rule: Last week, the Supreme Court denied a request from the Biden Administration to prevent some of the injunctions that have been placed blocking the Administration’s new Title IX regulations that took effect in some states on August 1. To learn about the new regulations, check out the CTE Policy Watch Blog. 

The Administration was busy this week, sharing new resources and opportunities including several upcoming virtual events. Meanwhile, Capitol Hill was quiet as Congress continues its August recess. To prepare for their return, make your voice heard and contact your Members of Congress! Urge them to support the Senate’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education funding bill, which includes a $35 million increase for Perkins and overall higher funding levels. Read more on other activities below! 

• Department of Education Launches CTE Momentum “Power Your Future” Challenge: Last week, the Department of Education launched their CTE Momentum “Power Your Future” challenge, encouraging high school students to submit innovation action plans to advance the use of clean energy in school and in their communities.  

• Department of Education Announces “Path(way) Forward” Webinar: The Department of Education will host a webinar on August 19 on recent initiatives and programs to improve educational attainment and opportunities for all students. 

• Department of Education Congratulates Career Z Challenge Finalists: The Department of Education announced the 10 finalists of the Career Z Challenge, a multi-phase federal prize competition to expand high school students’ access to high-quality work-based learning. 

• Department of Education Announces 2024 Virtual Federal Student Aid Training Conference for Financial Aid Professionals: The Department of Education announced a conference for financial aid professionals that will include keynote addresses from Department leadership, general and breakout sessions as well as seven Virtual Exhibit Hall stations. 

• Department of Labor Shared New Resource for WIOA Grant Recipients: The Department of Labor shared a new central resource for organizations receiving Community Project/Congressionally-Directed grant funds (earmarks). The resources include best practices and guidance on grant administration and program implementation. 

• Bipartisan Bill Proposes National Center for Advanced Development in Education: Senators Bennet and Cornyn introduced the New Essential Education Discoveries (NEED) Act last week. This legislation would establish a fifth center of the Institute of Education Sciences to reverse pandemic learning losses and prepare students for a tech-focused workforce.  

Prior to August recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee considered and approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill on a bipartisan basis, which contains a $35 million increase over FY 2024 for the Perkins Basic State Grant program, and an overall increase of $1 billion for education programs. These  increases will provide significantly more resources for education and workforce development programs than the House version of the bill released earlier this summer  

The appropriations process will resume in September when both chambers return from the August recess. We want to let Members of Congress know that we support the higher funding levels in the Senate bill! Congress still has significant work to do to complete the FY 2025 appropriations process, and your advocacy is critical in emphasizing that the Senate bill is preferable. 

ACTION NEEDED: CLICK HERE to urge your Members of Congress to support the Senate’s $35 million increase for Perkins and overall higher funding levels!    

Send a message directly using the ACTE Action Center. You can also call or email directly any personal contacts that you have in your Members’ offices, such as from a meeting at NPS, or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and an operator will connect you to your Member of Congress.   

This week, the Department of Labor announced several new opportunities and resources for workforce development. Meanwhile, the Department of Education continues to work on this fall’s FAFSA rollout and Title IX implementation as the 2024-2025 school year draws near. In Congress, August recess is in full swing. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with your members locally, and you can still contact their DC staff via the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121). Keep reading for more information! 

• Department of Education Announces New Schedule and Process to Launch 2025-2026 FAFSA Form: The Department of Education announced that the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA® form) will be launched through a new process. Starting on October 1, the Department will release the 2025-26 FAFSA form for testing with a limited set of students and institutions. The Department will make the application available to all students on or before December 1. 

• Title IX Regulations Continue to Face Legal Challenges: Last week, the Biden Administration’s new Title IX regulations took effect in some states but continue to face legal challenges in 26 states and over 100 schools in others. Most recently, a federal judge ruled that the regulations cannot be enforced in Oklahoma.  

• Department of Agriculture Announces New Resource: The Department of Agriculture shared a new resource for workforce development professionals in rural communities, the USDA Rural Workforce Guide for Rural Workforce Development. This outlines a four-part approach to building a skilled rural workforce. 

• Department of Labor Announces Webinar in Preparation of National Apprenticeship Week: The Department of Labor announced a webinar, “National Apprenticeship Week 2024” for August 21. They plan to share information on how to register events and submit proclamations, and resources for planning and promoting events in anticipation of National Apprenticeship Week. 

• Biden Administration Announces Next Phase of Good Jobs Challenge: The Department of Commerce launched a new phase of funding for the Good Jobs Challenge, providing an opportunity to build off the success of the first round of the Good Jobs Challenge awards and investing $25 million into high-quality, locally led workforce training programs that lead to good jobs. 

• New Funding Opportunity with YouthBuild Grant Program: The Department of Labor announced a new funding opportunity for the YouthBuild Grant program to support organizations that provide pre-apprenticeship services to opportunity youth aged 16 to 24. The Department will fund approximately 75 projects nationwide with individual grants ranging from $700,000 to $1.5 million.  

• Department of Labor Announces New Initiative to Train the Semiconductor Workforce: The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Chips for America Research and Development Office have announced a collaborative effort to advance semiconductor workforce development with the intent of creating a National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME), supported by a Network Coordination Hub.  

Today, ACTE is releasing a new resource, Staffing Outside the Box: Strategies for Addressing CTE Teacher Shortages.

Providing learners with access to qualified instructors with relevant occupational experience and teaching skills is one of the most important and challenging aspects of providing high-quality secondary CTE programs.

Ideally, CTE programs can find staff who meet both requirements: A fully licensed teacher with experience in pedagogy and classroom management as well as relevant and up-to-date industry knowledge and skills. But when the ideal isn’t available, CTE programs and institutions have a long history of innovating to ensure students have access to industry expertise and competent teachers.

This publication, sponsored by eDynamic Learning, explores considerations and provide examples for addressing CTE teacher shortages in the short and medium term through such methods as bringing industry experts into the classroom, sharing faculty across subject areas and institutions, and providing virtual learning opportunities.