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. 

This was the House’s final week in session before adjourning for August recess. The Senate will follow next week and both chambers will spend a little over a month in their states and districts. This is an excellent time to connect with your lawmakers and advocate for CTE, especially as back-to-school activities and preparation commence. Meanwhile, the Administration is preparing for a new school year as they continue to work on FAFSA and Title IX implementation. Keep reading for more details! 

• New Title IX Regulations Blocked in 21 States: A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Department of Education cannot enforce  e its new Title IX regulations, set to take effect Aug. 1, in Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska or South Dakota,  Additionally, the Biden Administration has asked the Supreme Court to partially lift two lower-court injunctions blocking  the rule from taking effect in ten states, aiming to expand access. 

• New Grant Opportunity with YouthBuild Grant Program: The Department of Labor will fund approximately 75 projects nationwide with grants ranging from $700,000 to $1.5 million as part of their YouthBuild Program, which supports organizations that provide pre-apprenticeship services, including education, occupational skills training and employment services. Eligible organizations must apply by September 16. 

• Department of Labor Shares Apprenticeship Connections Newsletter: The Department of Labor shared their Apprenticeship Connections Newsletter to provide updates on new technical assistance resources, grantee reporting updates and reminders, grantee projects and innovative apprenticeship strategies, upcoming events and apprenticeship in the news. 

• House Subpoenas Department of Education Over FAFSA: Several members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce have subpoenaed the Department of Education officials over documents they hope will share more information over  issues surrounding the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) . This follows a letter sent to the Department from five national associations urging Cardona to offer a fully functional FAFSA, even if that means a delay. 

• Senator Warren Introduces Legislation to Codify Chevron Doctrine: Sen. Elizabeth  Warren (D-MA) recently introduced the Stop Corporate Capture Act, which would require federal courts to give deference to agencies’ reasonable interpretation of ambiguous statutes. This is relevant to the education community because the overturning of Chevron deference could dramatically impact the power the Department of Education has to issue regulations affecting states. 

• National Center for Education Research Announces New Grants: The National Center for Education Research made 42 awards in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 under the Education Research grant program.  Among these awards for two were for  CTE projects, “Assessing the Quality and Reach of Student Pathways to Economic Security: Building Evidence to Enhance the Impact of NYC Pathways Initiatives” and “High School CTE Credentials and Postsecondary Outcomes in Pennsylvania: Implementation, Impact, and Cost.” 

Fortifying America’s Future: Pathways for Competitiveness: The Aspen Strategy Group at the Aspen Institute has published a report with the recommendations from thinkers throughout business, education, nonprofit and national security sectors to strengthen the U.S. education system, protect national competitiveness and identify key industries like semiconductor manufacturing.

Top recommendations below:

• Leverage the national security community’s bipartisan support to create a sense of urgency in improving the U.S. education and career pathway ecosystem. Combine funding streams to promote work-based learning, flexibility of public-private partnerships and better coordination of high-quality pathways beginning in K-12.
• Since 92% of future careers need digital skills, promote STEM mastery and computer science through evidence-based practices. Learners with high exposure to technology-related topics are 2.6 times more likely to declare a STEM major and 5.3 times more likely to eventually be employed in a STEM field. 

U.S. Workers and Their Levels of Exposure to AI By Profession: A recently published report by the Pew Research Center examined the levels at which U.S. workers across multiple fields and professions are exposed to artificial intelligence (AI). Researchers classified 19% of workers as having high AI exposure jobs, with exposure being higher for jobs that require more education.

More findings below:

• Nearly 13 million men and 14.6 million women worked a high AI exposure job in fields like office administration, auditing and accounting.
• Workers in more AI-exposed industries like information and technology; professional, scientific and technical services; and banking, finance, accounting and real estate perceive less economic risk from AI.
• High AI exposure jobs require diverse types of skillsets, with 59% using fundamental skills like critical thinking, 48% using analytical skills, 34% managerial and 26% social skills.

Aligning State Systems to Support Students: The National Conference of State Legislatures has published a report that analyzes how states are working to support community college goals of responding to the nation’s workforce needs by aligning, connecting and coordinating efforts across state agencies, postsecondary institutions, businesses and labor partners. Researchers discovered that several states are merging or redesigning their workforce systems to avoid program duplication and streamline support processes for learners.

Highlights of innovative efforts across states below:

• In 2023, Virginia passed B.1470 to create a new department with oversight of all workforce development activities and streamline over 1,500 state programs.
• In 2023, Texas passed B.2315 to consolidate workforce development programs administered across various state agencies into one.
• In 2019, Arkansas passed B. 522 to create a statewide workforce development system, reduce program duplication and create a catalog of industry-recognized credentials, among other things.
• In 2021, Delaware passed B.166 to create the Elevate Program, providing up to $10,000 per learner in approved noncredit programs identified by the Workforce Development Board.

Congress took recess this week and will return for the next two weeks before their lengthy August recess, which lasts five weeks and ends in early September. While the recess made for a relatively quiet week in Washington, the Department of Labor has announced several new funding opportunities and resources for workforce development opportunities while the Department of Education continues to navigate technology in education. Keep reading for more updates!  

• Department of Labor Announces Grants to Help Community Colleges Improve Access to High-Quality Training: The Department of Labor announced the availability of $65 million in funding to support programs that help community colleges scale affordable, high-quality workforce training that meets employers’ and workers’ skill development needs in critical industry sectors, such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, semiconductors and biotechnology. Grant applications are due September 24, 2024.  

• Department of Labor Announces Funding to Deliver Education, Occupational Skills Training, Job Services to Young People: The Department of Labor announced the availability of $99 million in funding to support YouthBuild programs that deliver pre-apprenticeships in high-demand industries including construction, clean energy, healthcare, infrastructure, information technology and hospitality. Grant applications are due September 16, 2024.  

• Department of Labor Awards $13.9M to Fund Pilot Programs to Deliver Info-Technology Skills, Training, Job Services to Job Corps Students: The Department of Labor today announced the award of up to $3.9 million in funding to Management and Training Corp. and up to $9.9 million to the Net America Corp. to support demonstration projects that provide information technology training and employment services to students. 

• Department of Labor Announces New Resources: The Department of Labor published new resources on WIOA and Youth Apprenticeship. 

• Biden Administration Cancels Student Loans for Public Service Workers: The Department of Education announced relief for roughly 35,000 borrowers made through changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which benefits workers such as teachers, nurses and firefighters. Those qualifying for forgiveness have their remaining loan balance eliminated after making 120 qualifying monthly payments. 

• Department of Education Resource on Education and Artificial Intelligence: The Department of Education released “Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence: An Essential Guide for Developers,” a resource for education technology community members as they work to establish safety, security and trust while creating artificial intelligence (AI) products and services for use in education, building on the “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning” report from 2023. 

• Title IX Now Blocked in Over 700 More Schools: A recent court ruling barred the Department of Education from enforcing its new Title IX rule at colleges attended by members of two conservative student groups. Hundreds of colleges across the country are affected, weeks before the rule is set to go into effect on August 1. For more information on the new Title IX regulations, check out the CTE Policy Watch Blog. 

• Federal Communications Commission Approves Adding Wi-fi Hotspots to E-Rate Program: The Federal Communications Commission approved a rule allowing schools to use federal E-rate funding to pay for Wi-Fi hotspots for students who don’t have adequate access to internet and broadband services at home.  

• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Enforces Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act went into effect on July 18, requiring covered employers to provide “reasonable accommodation” to a qualified employee’s or applicant’s known limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. 

This week, the House marked up the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill and continued to focus on broader education issues, such as Title IX and FAFSA. Next week, both chambers will take recess, set to return the following week in anticipation of a short work period before the lengthy August recess. Meanwhile, the Administration announced several new grant opportunities for registered apprenticeship programs. Keep reading for more details! 

• Joint Statement from ACTE, Advance CTE on CTE in the FY2025 House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Proposal: In partnership with Advance CTE, ACTE released a statement on the House Appropriations Committee’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill. 

• Rep. Krishnamoorthi Leads Colleagues in Letter to Department of Education  Addressing CTE Instructor Shortage: Congressman Krishnamoorthi sent a letter to Dr. Amy Loyd, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical and Adult Education, concerning the difficulties that schools are facing in recruiting and retaining instructors in CTE and the need for more data on this topic.  

• House Passes Resolution to Overturn New Title IX Regulations: The House passed a resolution to overturn the Biden Administration’s new Title IX regulations. Supporters of the new regulations led an opposition to the resolution, but it ultimately passed on a party-line vote. 

• House Markup of FAFSA Deadline Act: The House Education and Workforce Committee held a markup of the FAFSA Deadline Act, which would establish a hard FAFSA release deadline of October 1, as opposed to current law, which allows a release any time before January 1. This legislation was also introduced in the Senate this week. 

• Biden Administration Awards $244M+ to Modernize, Diversify and Expand Registered Apprenticeships: As part of its Investing in America agenda, the Biden Administration announced over $244 million through two grant programs under the Apprenticeship Building America initiative and the State Apprenticeship Expansion formula.  

• Department of Labor Awards $39M in Grants to Expand State Registered Apprenticeship: The Department of Labor announced more than $39 million in grants to 46 states and territories to increase the capacity of Registered Apprenticeship programs across key industries and provide workers with access to the new, good-paying jobs created under the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda. 

• Updated Federal Grant Guidance: The Department of Labor has updated its federal grant guidance to support the creation of high-quality jobs. These changes are an effort to make it easier for states and local communities to invest in programs that create good jobs and strengthen communities.  

• Department of Labor Announces Workforce Pathways for Youth Grants: The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration announced up to $40 million in grants through the Workforce Pathways for Youth program. These grants are designed to support national out-of-school time (OST) organizations in expanding work-based learning opportunities and career pathways for underserved youth during non-school hours. 

Lumina Foundation State of Higher Education 2024: The Lumina Foundation and Gallup have partnered to publish the 2024 State of Higher Education report, which measures the attitudes of U.S. adults toward postsecondary education, their interest in pursuing a credential, enrollment or persistence barriers, as well as the issues that currently enrolled learners face in their programs. Researchers found that, among adults without a degree, the same percentage of respondents value an industry certification (75%) as much as a bachelor’s degree (75%).

More findings below:

• 84% of respondents cite career outcomes (salary increase, promotion or higher-paying job) as the reason they are enrolled or considering enrolling in a postsecondary credential program.
• 51% of currently unenrolled adults say they intend to pursue a credential within the next five years, more so for individuals 25 or younger than for older populations.
• The most common persistence barriers include cost and work conflicts.
• Across enrolled learners, 74% rated their program quality very good or excellent, but fully in-person students responded more positively (81%) than those completely online (68%).

Guided Career Pathways and Community College Students: The Community College Survey of Student Engagement in collaboration with Jobs for the Future has published a report about how guided pathways are preparing community college students to meet their postsecondary and career goals. Researchers learned that over 90% of learners reported choosing a career path but were missing vital information for career advancement, with only 21% of students saying their college contributed “very much” to their local job market knowledge.

Top findings below:

• Work-based learning participants were likelier (71%) to say their coursework provided information about the skills needed for their chosen career path than non-participants (44%).
• 64% of individuals who have chosen a career path never used counseling services.
• Only 22% of students who have chosen a career path reported that their college “very much” helped them learn about the average earnings for their chosen career.
• 30% of learners received career pathway guidance from counselors, 29% from friends/family, 28% from instructors and 13% from current employers.

College-to-Jobs Stakeholder Briefs: The Project on Workforce at Harvard University has published a series of briefs for policymakers, educators and employers that offer practical recommendations and an outlined vision for an integrated education-workforce system. Researchers published briefs covering a range of topics, including college-industry partnerships, work-based learning (WBL), economic development and more.

A few recommendations from across the series are described below:

• Postsecondary institutions: Select a single department as the decision-making authority for employer relations to streamline processes and contacts for businesses.
• Employers: Compensate learners for WBL to ensure that underresourced individuals who cannot dedicate time to unpaid work can have meaningful experiences.
• Policymakers: Use the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act’s authority to implement a state strategy with an agenda for a unified education, workforce and economic development system that includes cross-sector collaboration, clear outcomes and direct investment in key areas.

Congress took recess this week for the 4th of July holiday but will be back next week in full swing. The House plans to mark up the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill on Wednesday (7/10). Meanwhile, the Administration has announced several new funding opportunities, and the Supreme Court has announced some changes to how the Department of Education can conduct its work. Keep reading for more! 

• Supreme Court Decision Weakens Agencies’ Power: The Supreme Court overruled Chevron Deference in the cases of Loper Enterprises v Raimondo and Relentless v Department of Commerce, which previously upheld that established courts must defer to federal agencies when it comes to interpreting certain laws. This shifts power from regulatory agencies to the judiciary. This may impact education in areas where the Department of Education had issued rules or regulations that some states disagreed with, such as Title IX.  

• Rules Banning Transcript holds, Expanding Overtime Now in Effect: Secretary Su issued a statement to mark the Department of Labor’s new rule that expands overtime taking effect. Read more about the rule on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. 

• New Title IX Rule Now Blocked in 14 States: The Biden Administration’s new Title IX rule is now blocked in Alaska, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming in addition to the previous ten states that had blocked it (Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia). Read more about the Title IX rule on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. 

• Biden Administration Announces $504 Million for 12 Tech Hubs Across America: The Biden Administration, through the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), announced approximately $504 million in funding to implement grants to 12 Tech Hubs to increase production of critical technologies, create jobs in innovative industries and accelerate the growth of industries of the future in regions across the United States. Workforce development is a key part of the Tech Hub project.  

• Department of Labor Awards $47M in Grants to Provide Jobs, Training, Supportive Services in Communities Affected by Violence, Poverty: The Department of Labor announced the award of nearly $47 million in grants to 14 organizations to help overcome structural barriers and improve access to employment opportunities. 

• Department of Labor Awards $65M + in Grants to Help Justice-Involved People Get Job Training: The Department of Labor announced more than $56 million in grants to help reduce recidivism and assist people in re-entering their communities after being incarcerated.  

• Department of Education Celebrates 60th Anniversary of Presidential Scholars Program: The Department of Education celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Presidential Scholars program by honoring this year’s scholars, including 20 CTE students.