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. 

On June 27, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations bill on a party-line vote. In some good news for CTE, the bill proposes a $10 million increase to the Perkins Basic State Grant. However, the bill proposes significant cuts to or complete eliminations of several critical education and workforce programs, such as WIOA Youth and Adult programs, federal work-study, Registered Apprenticeship, ESSA Title I and II and more. 

Proposed cuts to education and workforce development programs jeopardize CTE by limiting access to broader career pathways and resources. These programs work hand-in-hand to develop a skilled workforce – CTE cannot be successful without the support of the entire system.  

As the bill moves forward in the House and the Senate continues work on its version of this bill, it is critical that Members of Congress understand the impact of these proposed cuts, and that you lend your voice in support of funding for the entire education and workforce development system.  

ACTION NEEDED: CLICK HERE to tell your Members of Congress to oppose cuts to education and workforce programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill!   

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

This week, the Senate took recess as the House explored the use of AI in education and ways to bridge the cyber workforce gap. Meanwhile, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations bill was released and is set to be marked up on July 10. Keep reading for more updates and stay tuned for more information! 

• Appropriators Release FY 2025 Education Funding Bill: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies released their FY 2025 appropriations bill earlier this week. While the bill proposes a $10 million increase for the Perkins Basic State Grant, it proposes deep cuts to many education and job training programs. Read more on the CTE Policy Watch Blog.  
• House Education and Workforce Committee’s AI in Education Showcase: The House Education and Workforce Committee hosted a showcase on AI in Education, in which technology companies shared information about their AI services for educational purposes. CTE Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, delivered remarks on the importance of AI innovation in CTE and hands-on learning.  
• House Committee on Homeland Security Hosts Hearing on Cyber Workforce Gap: On Wednesday, the House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing, “Finding 500,000: Addressing America’s Cyber Workforce Gap.” The hearing primarily discussed the various methods in which new employees could enter the cyber workforce, and how to professionally train existing staff to strengthen their cyber skills. Read more on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. 
• Rep. Michael Rulli joins House Education and Workforce Committee: The Committee on Education and the Workforce welcomed U.S. Representative Michael Rulli (R-OH) as the newest member of the Committee. Rep. Rulli was recently  elected in a special election to serve Ohio’s Sixth Congressional District.  
• Title IX Regulations Update: In April, the Biden Administration released its final version of updated regulations related to the implementation of Title IX. These new regulations introduce several new stipulations aimed at extending protections to LGBTQIA+ students and enhancing protections for pregnant or parenting students. They will to go into effect Aug. 1 in most states, barring legal challenges. Read more about the latest updates on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. 
• Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New Funding Opportunity: The EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization announced a new funding opportunity for the Brownfields Job Training program to recruit, train, and retain a local skilled workforce.    
• Department of Labor Announces Training Grants from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): The U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of more than $12.7M in training grants from its Occupational Safety and Health Administration to support initiatives designed to create safer workplaces and, in turn, advance the department’s Good Jobs efforts. 

CTE is a Hidden Weak Spot in Many High School’s Teacher Workforces: The Brookings Institution has published a report that analyzes the CTE teacher shortage across the U.S. with insights about the factors that are perpetuating the problem, the ways in which schools are struggling to fill these positions, policy recommendations and more. Researchers discovered that administrators are having difficulties filling CTE teacher positions 57% of the time compared to only 39% of the time for openings in academic subjects.

Top findings include:

• CTE teachers with professional teaching licenses were less likely to leave teaching than occupationally licensed CTE teachers. Occupationally licensed CTE teachers were 25% likelier to leave the field than non-CTE teachers.
• Occupationally licensed CTE instructors who do leave the profession earn about 20% more upon exit than other teachers (potentially contributing to their higher exit rates).
• Health science teacher exits (a specific area of focus for the study) often do not get fully re-staffed, leading to net losses of student participation, course sections and staff the following school year.

Some College, No Credential Student Outcomes: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has released the annual Some College, No Credential (SCNC) report, which explores the educational trajectories of U.S. adults who left postsecondary education without ever receiving an award or credential. The report found that the SCNC population at the end of July 2022 was 42 million with more than 37 million of these individuals being under the age of 65.

Top findings include:

• Between January 2021 and July 2022, there were fewer stopouts compared to the similar prior period (-0.7%). Particularly, public two-year institutions experienced larger decreases (-4.1%), which could be contributed to overall pandemic-related enrollment declines.
• In 2022-23 SCNC re-enrollees primarily chose associate degrees (51.9%), 28.2% bachelor’s degrees and 13.3% undergraduate certificates.
• Of the 864,00 learners who re-enrolled in 2021-22, over 39,000 earned a credential during that year, 467,000 persevered into 2022-23 and 80,000 earned a credential in their second year of re-enrollment.
• In 2022-23, of nearly 41,900 re-enrollees that earned credentials, 48.7% earned an undergraduate certificate, 29.4% earned an associate degree, and 19.7% a bachelor’s degree.

How States Can Use Data to Incentivize Student Postsecondary and Workforce Success: American Student Assistance and the Education Strategy Group have published a report that examines how can states use data to demonstrate the value of public education and support the long-term success of students through reporting, accountability and incentive systems. Researchers highlighted striking differences in the value of postsecondary credentials with entry-level graduates in liberal arts majors earning 24% less than STEM majors and 29% less than health-related graduates.

Top finings and recent state developments below:

• 35 states publicly report both postsecondary success and workforce outcomes but only few report metrics related to return on investment and/or postsecondary value.
• 29 states use outcomes-based funding (OBF) mechanisms with only six incorporating workforce outcomes and 22 including two- and four-year institutions.
• 11 states plus D.C report only on college success outcomes but no state reports only on workforce outcomes.
• Seven states have funding incentives incorporating college and career readiness metrics or postsecondary outcomes with five of these only including the former.
• 41 states include one or more college and career readiness metrics into federal or state accountability systems, eight incorporate both college career readiness and postsecondary outcomes and 33 plus D.C include only the former.