On May 10, the U.S. Department of Education announced its 2023 class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, including 20 CTE students. The Presidential Scholars program is designed to recognize top-performing high school seniors across the country, and was expanded in 2015 to include an “at-large” category for students who “demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.”

CTE students are nominated by their states and then narrowed through a rigorous selection process. This year’s class of CTE Presidential Scholars includes:

• Tej Sandeep Desai, Paradise Valley High School, Phoenix, Arizona
• Sezen S. Musa, Adrian C. Wilcox High School, Santa Clara, California
• Katherine Jordan Little, Thomas Jefferson High School, Denver, Colorado
• Samra Iman Iqbal, Caesar Rodney High School, Camden, Delaware
• Puiyee Kong, Caesar Rodney High School, Camden, Delaware
• Sahil Sood, Lambert High School, Suwanee, Georgia
• Aira Dani, Northview High School, Duluth, Georgia
• Vaeanui Paiarii Peck, Kahuku High School, Kahuku, Hawaii
• Eshaan S. Chandani, Johnston High School, Johnston, Iowa
• Maxwell L. Neri, Waubonsie Valley High School, Aurora, Illinois
• Cecelia Ann Rogers, Nelson County High School, Bardstown, Kentucky
• Henry C. Knox, Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational High School, Bourne, Massachusetts
• Alijandro Ian Mendoza, Worcester Vocational High School, Worcester, Massachusetts
• Hannah N. Rice, Brunswick R-II High School, Brunswick, Missouri
• Josiah Hailey Young, Hickory Ridge High School, Harrisburg, North Carolina
• Kaylee Mae Kirkeby, Grand Forks Central High School, Grand Forks, North Dakota
• Amy Park, West Career and Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Jay G. Patel, Butler Tech Bioscience Center, West Chester Township, Ohio
• Aaron Wang, Skyline High School, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Isabella Mackenzie Herrod, Liberty High School, Clarksburg, West Virginia

Congress has made little progress in reaching a deal to extend the national debt limit and avoid default on the federal debt. Financial experts have suggested that the debt limit could be reached as early as June 1, leaving little time for negotiations. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) recently noted that a deal would need to be reached by next week in order to move it through the legislative process. However, despite a meeting on Tuesday at the White House between President Biden and bipartisan congressional leadership, no solution appears imminent.

As part of his negotiations to become Speaker of the House, Speaker McCarthy agreed to a plan that would cap non-defense discretionary spending at FY 2022 levels – an 8% cut for overall FY 2024 spending – and cap future spending at 1% annually until FY 2033. This plan, known as the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811) passed the House on a 217-215 party-line vote on April 26.

According to the Department of Education, ED programs would be subject to a 22% reduction in funding if the spending cap from the Limit, Save, Grow Act is enacted, because Republican leaders have said that defense, border security and veterans’ funding would not face any cuts. This would leave programs like Perkins at risk of significant cuts that would harm CTE and workforce development programs, and greatly impact their ability to serve learners in high-quality CTE programs nationwide.

Democratic leadership have said that the Limit, Save, Grow Act as it stands is a non-starter and have requested a clean increase of the debt ceiling by June 1 that is not tied to discussions about spending cuts. President Biden remarked yesterday that he planned to continue discussions with congressional leadership on Friday.

Both the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee are delayed in marking up the FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill as a result of the debt limit impasse. Leaders are waiting to determine if an agreement on federal spending caps is included in any deal related to the debt limit before moving forward.

ACTE is closely monitoring developments in the debt ceiling negotiations, and we will keep you updated with any advocacy requests and continue to advocate for the highest possible levels of education spending. Please let us know if you have any questions!

This week, I joined the ACTE team as the new Government Relations Manager. I will be the association’s primary lobbyist, working alongside the public policy team to advocate for CTE priorities on Capitol Hill and with the Administration. Specifically, I will be focused on CTE funding through the federal budget and appropriations process as well as issues falling under the House Education and the Workforce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. I will also be working on CTE issues pertaining to the Departments of Education and Labor. I am honored to be advocating for ACTE’s members, and I look forward to meeting everyone. I wanted to take a moment today to introduce myself to you in my first blog post.

Before joining ACTE, I was a public policy specialist for Bose Public Affairs Group. At Bose, I assisted clients with their legislative strategies before Congress, planning and executing their fly-ins, producing publications for association clients, communicating to clients on relevant breaking news and reporting on all votes that members of Congress took. I was fortunate to be able to build many relationships with Members of Congress and their staff, and I hope to be able to translate those relationships into success for ACTE members. 

I first started working in postsecondary education policy through Bose. I assisted many clients that were engaged in higher education topics, including reforming the federal student loan process. This was my first experience in education policy, and it was a vital experience for me as I realized my passion for education. The clients that I worked for all inevitably had one mission, which was to improve access to higher education. I am particularly excited to join ACTE because I truly believe in the value that CTE provides all learners.   

Upon graduating from Dickinson College in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, I began my career in the political world as an associate for Next Level Partners and eventually Capitol Compliance Associates. Both firms helped campaigns with their Federal Election Commissions compliance. It was through these experiences that I realized my true passion came from policy and the legislative process.  

In 2019, I made the decision to leave Capitol Compliance for an internship with my hometown Congressman, John Sarbanes (D-MD). I served in his office as a legislative intern where I listened to the concerns of his constituents and performed research on a variety of topics. At the beginning of 2020, I moved to the office of Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) as a press intern. As his press intern, I was responsible for writing press releases for all of his work on the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

In addition to my professional experience, I am also working toward my master’s degree in public policy from American University. I expect to complete this degree in December 2023. 

I look forward to championing CTE on behalf of our members to help ensure that we provide generations to come with the skills they need to succeed in the modern workforce. If I can be a resource to you, please do not hesitate to reach out at jkoch@acteonline.org or at 703-683-9315 ext. 316.   

What Three High Schoolers Have to Say on the Transformative Impact of Youth Apprenticeships: A recent article by the Brookings Institution described the impact of youth apprenticeships on the employment and postsecondary outcomes of high school students. Specifically, a panel of students shared their experiences and takeaways from the Indianapolis Modern Apprenticeship program. The first two cohorts of this youth apprenticeship included 78 students and 40 employers in diverse fields such as health care, advanced manufacturing, information technology and financial services. The youth apprentices shared that their experiences helped them make more informed postsecondary choices and even helped one young woman earn a scholarship. However, they faced challenges navigating between school, work and extracurricular activities, which can be helped by flexibility from teachers, supervisors and counselors; transportation supports; and preparation activities like mock interviews.

State Funding Models to Support Youth Apprenticeships: Advance CTE and the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) recently produced a report evaluating state-level youth apprenticeship funding models and systems across the nation and describing sustainable funding strategies to embed youth apprenticeship within states’ career preparation systems. A survey of state CTE directors found that youth apprenticeships are typically funded by block and competitive grants, formula distribution, performance-based funding and allocation to intermediaries, with competitive grants and formula distributions as the most common funding models. Additionally, only eight states reported having dedicated funding for secondary youth apprenticeship programs. The report includes case studies of youth apprenticeship funding in Wisconsin, Utah, Michigan and Georgia.

Decoding the CareerWise Youth Apprentice Journey: The Harvard Business School recently released a report analyzing the success of the Colorado CareerWise Youth Apprenticeship program, which launched its first cohort in 2017. This apprenticeship program was created in partnership with business leaders, education innovators, public officials and other leaders. So far, this program has seen more than 1,400 apprentices hired by over 120 employers. The researchers found that nearly two-thirds of CareerWise students progress to postsecondary education, the workforce or both, with 20% of program participants becoming retained apprentices with the same employer and 27% becoming dedicated postsecondary students. In addition, the researchers found the following:

• Apprentices who are interested in remaining in the career field or industry in which they are apprenticing are much more likely to persist and complete the experience.
• Registered Apprenticeships have higher retention rates than other apprenticeship programs.
• Apprentices are more likely to complete financial services, IT and advanced manufacturing tracks, while business operations and health care tracks have lower retention rates.
• Apprentices from high-poverty schools and Black apprentices are more likely to leave the program in the first year.

Teacher Apprenticeships Are Booming in The Wake of Shortages: Teacher apprenticeship and residency programs across the United States are gaining popularity and momentum as a promising solution to the teacher pipeline problem. Education Week recently released an article detailing the most important facts that leaders and advocates should be aware of as these programs continue to boom. There are currently 16 states with U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship programs for teachers across the country, which opens the opportunity for federal funding to pay for tuition assistance, wages, textbooks and other supportive services. Teacher apprenticeship programs can serve as powerful tools for reducing barriers to entering the teaching field and are often designed for paraprofessionals or high school students with an interest in teaching, with the idea of recruiting individuals who are rooted in a community. Research indicates that teacher apprenticeship and residency models help teachers stay in the field longer and lead to positive student outcomes.

While both chambers of Congress were in session this week, only a few votes were held. The House did vote on the Republican debt limit package, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811), and it passed on a party-line vote of 217-215. The package proposes significant cuts to non-defense discretionary spending and limits on future spending, which could impact education and workforce development programs. As this discussion continues, ACTE is continuing to communicate with congressional staff and stakeholders about the potential impact of these cuts and advocate for the highest possible levels of education spending. The House will be out of session next week, but the Senate is expected to continue discussions around this bill and the debt limit more broadly. In the meantime, here are some news and notes from the week:

• College Scorecard Update: The Department of Education has announced enhancements to the College Scorecard, including data on the median earnings of former graduates four years after completion of their requisite field of study; new demographic data, including race/ethnicity data for full-time staff and student-to-faculty ratios; and greater information for prospective graduate students on fields of study, earnings and student debt trends. Visit the College Scorecard here.

• House Small Business Committee Holds Hearing on Strengthening Small Business: On April 26, the House Committee on Small Business’s Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development held a hearing titled “Help Wanted: Exploring How Alternative Paths to Student Debt Can Help to Strengthen Small Business.” The hearing featured several workforce development advocates that discussed a variety of career opportunities for students, and how CTE can help provide these opportunities. Read more about the hearing here.

• National Apprenticeship Act of 2023 Introduced: On April 25, House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the National Apprenticeship Act of 2023. Read more about the bill here.

• Coalition Partner Sends Letter on FY 2024 Appropriations: This week, the Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce (CIAW), one of ACTE’s coalition partners, sent a letter calling on Congress to support robust funding for education and workforce development programs in FY 2024. ACTE joined the letter in support.

• National Apprenticeship System Enhancements Listening Session: On May 5, the Department of Labor will host a National Apprenticeship System Enhancements Listening Session at 3:00pm EST. You can register for the listening session here.

• HELP Committee Approves Julie Su’s Nomination as Secretary of Labor: On April 26, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee votedto favorably report the nomination of U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor. It was a party-line 11-10 vote, and the future of her nomination is uncertain.

• Members of Congress Re-introduce College Transparency Act: On April 27, the College Transparency Act (CTA) was reintroduced in the House and Senate by a large group of lawmakers. The bill would improve the information available about postsecondary programs and outcomes and ease information sharing. ACTE has endorsed the legislation again this Congress.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) recently held its second webinar series on equity titled Equity in Career-Connected Education: Advancing Economic Mobility.

The first webinar in the series, Work-based Learning Opportunities for Native American Students, featured guests from the Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) Employment and Training Services Department such as Megan Mielke, the organization’s Youth Services Manager. This series opener covered how CITC provides work-based learning opportunities to learners through its Youth Services Program, which serves individuals aged 14-24 by assisting them in finding employment, furthering education and identifying leadership development opportunities. More specifically, this program provides students with the opportunity to engage in a 10-to-12-week paid internship in which they are employed by Cook Inlet or with a partner employer. Other services provided by the Youth Services Program include assistance with postsecondary education, GED completion, work-readiness training, career assessment, resume and cover letter writing, and interview coaching, among other activities.

The second webinar of the series titled Second Chance Pell and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) featured Kathie Stromile Golden, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Rochelle McGee-Cobbs, Ph.D., Lead Official of PEPP at Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). In this webinar, speakers discussed MVSU’s Prison Educational Partnership Program (PEPP) with the federal government designed to offer incarcerated students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree. MVSU will be the first HBCU in the state to provide postsecondary education to incarcerated learners. The program aims to advance enrollees’ educational attainment levels to improve employment prospects once released from prison, reduce their odds of recidivating and increase their levels of civic engagement and self-esteem. Students can pick from one of three majors with different concentrations: Business Administration, Computer and Information Science and Engineering Technology.

Lastly, the third webinar in the series was titled Michigan Vocational Village and the Second Chance Pell Grant and featured Heather Gay, the Education Manager for the Michigan Department of Corrections. This webinar focused on Michigan’s unique model for prisoner education, rehabilitation and preparation for release. Michigan uses vocational villages for its skilled trades training program, a first-of-its-kind format that aims to provide learning opportunities through CTE. Currently, three facilities throughout the state have a vocational village on-site. Prisoners who participate in the vocational village are housed together to create a positive learning environment. They have full days of training and classroom instruction to mimic a typical workday and upon completion of their courses, they receive state and nationally recognized certifications in their trade of choice. A total of 1,580 villagers have been paroled since 2016, with a 70% employment rate for graduates and only 193 recidivists.

On April 26, the House Committee on Small Business’s Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development held a hearing titled “Help Wanted: Exploring How Alternative Paths to Student Debt Can Help to Strengthen Small Business,” featuring workforce development advocates that discussed a variety of career opportunities for students, , and how CTE can help provide these opportunities.

Subcommittee Chairman Marc Molinaro (R-NY) opened the hearing with a reminder of the value of CTE. “In addition to being shorter and less expensive than a traditional four-year degree, CTE represents a complete range of career fields across the entire economy, and is driven by the needs and demands of employers, said Chairman Molinaro. “Preparing students with the technical skills needed to obtain high-paying, in-demand jobs will prove to be crucial to bridging our nation’s skills and workforce gap.”

Subcommittee Ranking Member Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) called attention to the significant workforce needs created by new federal investments. “It is estimated that in 2023 alone, the construction industry will have to recruit 546,000 workers on top of its regular pace of hiring – just to keep up with demand. As we implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act over the next decade, the demand for workers will continue to grow,” said Ranking Member McGarvey. “Whether we are talking about apprenticeships, CTE or any other workforce development initiative, it is imperative that we look for ways to incentivize their use and make them more attractive to new demographics of workers.”

Meloni Raney, President and CEO of TEXO, which aims to unify, advocate and advance the construction industry in North and East Texas said in response to Chairman Molinaro that "There's a perception issue with construction.” TEXO is working to change these perceptions by providing salary ranges for construction trades jobs and offering examples to students that construction is an inclusive career field. Raney also emphasized the importance of industry partnerships and Perkins funding.

“CTE programs are expensive to administer and fund, with cost-intensive classrooms and equipment, and quality CTE instructors in short supply. This is especially true in construction where there is a shortage of quality instructors, as they are often recruited to work in the private sector at higher salary levels than school districts can provide. The modest funding increases for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in recent years is a good start, as it’s the primary source of federal support for CTE programs.”

“If we’re active in the schools and we build relationships with these students for four years, they are coming into our industry,” said Raney. “We have a school that sends us about 25 welders every single year that graduate and they come into our industry. But that is a very specific school that we targeted and that we are in partnership with for four years to get those graduates. So, we are seeing glimmers. What we have to do is get a scalable approach.”

Additionally, other witnesses spoke of the challenges of finding qualified workers to fill positions in vital industries in their states, labor regulations and the immense benefits of apprenticeship in the construction trades.

You can watch the full hearing here.