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.

Senate appropriators on Aug. 1 released and passed the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies funding bill. The bill would provide $80 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, representing a little more than a 1% increase for the Department of Education, which is in sharp contrast to the 14% cut the House Appropriations Committee approved last month. 

The bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee by a vote of 25-3. In some good news for CTE, the bill provides a $35 million increase over FY 2024 for the Perkins Basic State Grant. That represents a 2.5% increase. Appropriators are also proposing a $10 million increase for CTE National Activities, which would be used for the department’s Career-connected High Schools initiative. ACTE and partners have raised concerns about this initiative. 

Other highlights in the bill include: 

• $100 increase to the maximum Pell Grant, bringing the award to $7,495 

• Flat funding for the Strengthening Community College Training Grants at $65 million 

• $280 million increase for the Every Student Succeeds (ESSA) Title I Grants for local education agencies 

• $100 million increase for the Office of Federal Student Aid 

Highlights for the Department of Labor include: 

• $2.9 billion for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) formula grants, equal to FY 2024 

• $290 million for Registered Apprenticeships, a $5 million increase over FY 2024 

• $110 million for YouthBuild 

With the August recess in full swing, it is not yet clear when this bill will move forward. Appropriators will likely continue negotiations well after the fiscal year starts on Oct. 1. In the meantime, lawmakers will likely pursue a continuing resolution to keep the government open after Sept. 30 and give legislators more time to finalize the spending bills.  

As Congress continues this work, ACTE will be advocating for a robust investment in CTE as well as other critical programs that increase access to learners of all ages.

This past week was the Senate’s final one before adjourning for the August recess and the Senate Appropriations Committee met to approve its fiscal year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies spending bill. The House has already adjourned. The Senate Appropriations Committee met this week to approve its fiscal year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies spending bill. The August recess is an excellent time to connect with your lawmakers and advocate for the highest funding level possible for CTE. Keep reading for more updates! 

• Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2025 Education Funding Bill: In a 25-3 vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The bill provides $80 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education. In some good news for CTE, the bill provides a $35 million increase for the Perkins State Grant as well as a $10 million increase for CTE National Activities.  

• Senate Commerce Committee Advances Bipartisan AI-related Bills: The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday approved eight bipartisan bills, as amended, relating to research, testing and education on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. According to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the committee, the bills are intended to ensure “good, strong public-private partnership collaboration to drive innovation” in the development and adoption of AI systems. 

• Labor Department Announces $45 Million in Available Funding to Improve Employment Opportunities for Young People Affected by Violence and Poverty: The Department of Labor today announced the availability of $45 million in funding to support programs to provide skills training through work-based learning, employment services, educational support and mentorship to young adults, ages 15 to 24, in communities affected by violence, crime and poverty.  

• Education Department Releases Guide on Inclusive Learning Environments in Higher Education: On July 31, the Department of Education issued a new resource guide, “Free to Learn: Leading Inclusive Learning Environments in Higher Education,” aimed at fostering safe and inclusive campuses through the Israel-Hamas conflict and beyond. This guide is intended for leadership and staff of institutions of higher education.