There was less activity this week in Washington as Congress continued its August recess. Developments in the FY 24 appropriations process, described below, illustrate how important your advocacy is going to be when the session resumes in September! Ask your lawmakers to show their support for the highest level of possible funding for Perkins, workforce development and the entire secondary and postsecondary education systems. In other items, news about the defense spending bill and the delay of this year’s farm bill was also in the headlines. Read more news and notes below:

• Members of Congress Insert New Challenges into Appropriations Process: This week, the conservative House Freedom Caucus released a list of demands they are asking for in exchange for their votes to avoid a government shutdown at the end of September. The group of Republican lawmakers said it would oppose any short-term continuing resolutions unless leadership meets their demands related to military policy, border security and the workings of the FBI and the Department of Justice. These demands underscore the difficulty of passing spending legislation once Congress returns in September.
• Department of Labor Announces $1.3 Million Grant to Support Gender Equity: The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the award of more than $1.3 million to the state of Illinois and the Chicago Women in Trades organization to support the creation and adoption of equity plans to increase women’s inclusion in construction industry jobs.
• Department of Education Launches New Income-Driven Repayment Tool: The Department of Education (ED) has announced the launch of its new income-driven repayment application tool, which allows borrowers to enroll in the Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. This plan is more generous to borrowers than previous income-driven repayment plans.
• The National Skills Coalition Publishes Update on JOBS Act and Gainful Employment Regulations: The National Skills Coalition (NSC), a close ACTE partner in the federal policy space, recently published an update on the JOBS Act and Gainful Employment Regulations. The post provides a comprehensive look at the status of both policy issues that have the potential to significantly impact CTE programs.
• OCTAE Invites High School Students to Enter into Your Place in Space Challenge: ED’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) is inviting secondary-level students to submit designs for a product or service that contributes to space missions or exploration to help them envision themselves in the industry and identify a space career pathway. Submissions are due by 6:00 p.m. ET on October 30, 2023. Up to 10 winners will receive $5,000 each and earn in-kind prizes such as space-related classroom equipment or supplies, site visits to space company campuses, and interactions with high-profile leaders in the space industry.
• ED’s Office for Civil Rights Issues Resource on Race and School Programming: ED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) on race and school programming to provide guidance to schools on lawful programs that promote racially inclusive school communities. The resource lays out the circumstances consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 under which schools can develop curricula and programs and engage in activities that promote practices of diversity and inclusivity.

How Informal Mentoring By Teachers Supports Student Academic Success: The National Bureau of Economic Research recently published a report on the effects of informal teacher-student mentoring relationships. The results demonstrated a 9.4% increase in postsecondary attendance for students who had an informal mentoring relationship during K-12 education with a teacher, counselor or coach, with effects being most beneficial for individuals of lower socioeconomic status.

The researchers also described how estimates of teachers’ long-run impacts on students’ academic or behavioral skills can miss the impact of sustained teacher-student relationships on student social capital, aspirations and life decisions. However, they noted that a wide variation exists among students who report having a teacher-student mentor relationship, indicating a gap in opportunity and a need for more diverse faculty.

Researchers recommend that future research efforts focus on understanding the characteristics of school-based mentors and on how teacher training and school organizational practices can be leveraged to expand equitable access to these relationships.

State Policies Supporting Teachers Across the Career Pipeline: The Education Commission of the States recently published a policy outline that highlights state policies to improve the educator pipeline from recruitment to retention. Researchers found that at least 31 states and the District of Columbia offer a pathway, program or incentive to recruit secondary students into the teaching profession, at least nine states have launched registered apprenticeships for teachers, and at least 31 states require new teacher induction and mentoring.

The following state policy examples demonstrate how policymakers and leaders can support the teacher workforce throughout the career pipeline:

• Interest in the field: Georgia’s paraprofessional development stipend program provides paraprofessionals with economic support to pursue teacher certification.
• Initial preparation and certification: The North Carolina Teaching Fellows program offers a scholarship for prospective educators committed to teaching for at least four years in public schools.
• Early career support: Delaware has a four-year induction and mentoring program for new teachers on an initial license, teachers new to the state, and teachers who have changed their area of licensure.
• Career advancement: Maine’s Teach to Lead program fosters collaboration among educators statewide and is developing standards to promote teacher leadership opportunities.

Today ACTE has released CTE: Developing the Health Care Workforce, the fourth in our revamped series of Sector Sheets describing CTE’s role in growing the workforce for vital industry sectors. The Sector Sheet series is published with support from ACTE’s long-time partner Pearson.

These revised Sector Sheets include job opportunities and descriptions of how CTE prepares learners for the workforce in each sector, all in a new format featuring streamlined text and additional graphics to make these advocacy tools even more effective.

This Sector Sheet describes how CTE supports the health care workforce, which employs more than 17 million people nationwide and requires approximately 1.9 million individuals each year to meet demand. It also shares information on occupations, earnings and credentials that give readers guidance for how to enter and progress within fields such as allied health, nursing and behavioral health. Finally, the Health Care Sector Sheet demonstrates the importance of CTE in developing this workforce by describing how CTE prepares learners through courses, industry credentials, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and more.

As we move forward with these revamped Sector Sheets, both the newer and older Sector Sheets will be available on the ACTE Sector Sheet webpage for download and use. We encourage you to share these tools with students, counselors, policymakers and others to spread the message about CTE and its benefits for students and the workforce.

ACTE’s Public Policy Department heard from Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson for this edition of Policymaker Perspectives. Rep. Thompson represents Pennsylvania’s 15^th Congressional District, and he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2008. He is currently serving his fifth term as a co-chair of the House Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus.

Rep. Thompson currently serves as the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and is a senior member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

Rep. Thompson was the lead sponsor of H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which was signed into law on July 31, 2018. The bill reauthorized and updated the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, and is commonly referred to as “Perkins V.” He has been a leading congressional advocate for CTE programs and students throughout his time in the House.

Rep. Thompson attended Penn State University and Temple University. Learn more below about the Congressman’s passion for CTE, his work serving on House committees and more!

ACTE: As both the co-chair of the House CTE Caucus and the lead sponsor of legislation reauthorizing Perkins, you have spent your time in Congress championing CTE. What led to your interest in CTE and why do you feel it is so important to advocate for CTE students and programs?

Rep. Thompson: My appreciation for CTE came at an early age. My father went through a CTE program, leading him to become a tool and die maker. Eventually, he decided to start his own business which became quite successful. From agriculture to the arts and from marketing to manufacturing, CTE programs work to develop America’s most valuable resources – its people.

Representing Pennsylvania’s 15^th Congressional District has reinforced my belief that the key to developing the workforce of the future is reinvigorating career and technical education across the United States. Pennsylvania is home to more than 80 CTE centers, including nine in my district, and I have seen firsthand the benefits and importance of these programs in developing a skilled workforce. With more than 12 million students enrolled in CTE programs and nearly 10 million job openings throughout the country, Congress needs to work to close the skills gap and modernize federal investments in these programs.

We are providing the education and the tools to equip a 21st-century workforce by supporting these programs, and I will continue to be a strong advocate for giving people from all walks of life an opportunity to succeed and restore rungs on the ladder of opportunity.

ACTE: As a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, you work to support policies to help deliver on the needs of employers for a 21^st-century skilled workforce. How do you work with your fellow Members of the Committee to support and advance CTE?

Rep. Thompson: CTE is one of those unique issues that unites Democrats and Republicans here in Washington and across the country, and I believe the work we do in the CTE Caucus is a prime example of that. We have 107 bipartisan members, and counting, and I am grateful for the partnership and friendship of the Caucus’ Co-Chair, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, who is also a senior member on the Education and the Workforce Committee. Together, we have been able to introduce and advance proposals ranging from workforce investments in infrastructure projects to increasing awareness for career counseling programs within the existing Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) framework that helps connect adult learners with educational and career opportunities.

Lawmakers at every level of government are hearing from their constituents about the challenges in attracting and retaining a talented, skilled workforce, and we do not have the luxury of sitting back and throwing up our hands. My colleagues and I have rolled up our sleeves and begun addressing these issues, and there is no better evidence of this than the passage of Perkins V in 2018. That legislation passed both the House and Senate by voice votes before being signed into law by President Trump. That kind of support on such a large and impactful piece of legislation is practically unheard of, but it is a testament to the bipartisanship of this issue and a strong commitment on both sides of the aisle to promote alternative career pathways.

I stand ready to continue to work with any of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as well as educators and industry stakeholders, to advance meaningful CTE legislation.

ACTE: How best can CTE advocates work with their policymakers back home to help them gain an understanding of the opportunities that CTE programs offer? As a policymaker, are there elements of CTE programs that you haven’t yet been able to observe up close that you would like to see in action?

Rep. Thompson: One of the things that we, as a society, have unfortunately gotten away from is storytelling. Sharing your personal experiences with lawmakers on a range of issues, from agriculture to health care to CTE, helps us make informed decisions and improves the quality of federal programs. As we work to combat the stigma that sometimes still exists surrounding CTE programs, it is perhaps more important than ever to get the success stories of CTE out as far and wide as possible.

I have been fortunate during my time in Congress to visit many of the CTE programs and schools in Pennsylvania’s 15^th Congressional District and throughout the Commonwealth. Early on when I would visit these schools, many classrooms were mostly empty and some programs were really struggling. Now when I tour these centers, I almost always find that there is a waiting list to get into these programs. I think that shows we are doing something right and starting to get the word out about how these programs help folks climb the next rung on the ladder of opportunity.

I think it’s impossible to observe every program under the umbrella of CTE – which is a good thing. Well over half of new jobs today require skills that can be learned and developed through technical training, and the breadth that CTE covers ensures that we are building our workforce to face tomorrow’s challenges. Speaking of those challenges, I am closely following the new cybersecurity programs many CTE centers have established. Being able to confront malicious foreign actors with a highly skilled and trained workforce helps ensure our national security and protect everything from the electrical grid to our supply chain.

ACTE: As Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, you will be taking the lead on the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization. What are some of your top priorities as you craft the bill? What are some of the top workforce needs you are seeing in agricultural-based and rural communities?

Rep. Thompson: I am excited about the opportunity for the House Ag Committee to play a role in developing and improving USDA programs to help address workforce shortages in rural America. According to the 2020 Census, our rural population decreased. This marked the first decade-long fall in rural population in American history.

Opportunities in the American economy are changing as a result of developments in industry, technology, and the global market and so must our career training and education. The impacts of America’s economic growing pains are uniquely felt in rural America by rural residents, who face comparatively high rates-of long term unemployment and lack access to training opportunities, and by many employers, who are finding it difficult to find appropriately skilled workers. As a result, employers are creating their own methods for finding and hiring talented people through a range of workforce development initiatives that equip applicants with the precise abilities required to carry out a job effectively.

While not directly in the purview of the Ag Committee, the Committee has authorized several programs looking at building a robust, rural workforce pipeline through the Farm Bill. In the 2018 Farm Bill, we established the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grant Program, which offers grant assistance to rural areas to create high-wage jobs, accelerate business, and support industry clusters. USDA also has the Rural Workforce Innovation Network, which highlights USDA Rural Development programs and helps communities recruit, retain, and further educate individuals in rural America.

I have always said the number one asset any organization has is a high-quality, high-skilled workforce. It is important that Congress, through the Farm Bill, consider any and all opportunities to address the workforce challenges in rural America. With its unique reach, expertise, and experience serving rural America, USDA is well-positioned to help local communities develop and implement workforce development strategies.

The Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) has posted a notice inviting applications for new FY 2023 awards from the Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program for their Career-Connected High Schools program. Approximately $24 million is available for these competitive grants from funding allocated to the Perkins Act’s National Programs line item in the FY 2023 appropriations bill. 

The new grant program seeks to identify, promote and implement innovative strategies to strengthen and modernize CTE programs. Its funding will be awarded to projects that demonstrate efforts to increase students’ access to career-connected high schools, which the Department defines as those that offer systematic postsecondary counseling and career advising, dual or concurrent enrollment, work-based learning, and programs that offer opportunities to earn an industry-recognized credential.   

To be considered for a grant, an applicant must meet the following absolute priorities:

1. Be able to describe current implementation of career-connected learning components and lay out a five-year plan for increasing the number of students who participate in postsecondary education and career navigation systems, dual or concurrent enrollment, work-based learning and industry recognized credentials. 
2. Demonstrate how the proposed project would support underserved students and close equity gaps.

25% of the available grant funding will be set aside for education within rural communities. The notice also lists competitive preferences that can increase the strength of an application, including submitting applications as a partnership and serving students from families with low incomes. 

Applications must be submitted by October 13, 2023, through Grants.gov to be considered. Further information to assist in completing the application will be available on the Perkins Collaborative Resource Network.

This month, high school CTE teachers around the nation will begin receiving packets of questionnaires as part of ACTE’s continuing partnership with myOptions® Encourage® (formerly myOptions) and its College and Career Planning Program. This no-cost program helps you discover your students’ interests, future goals and postsecondary preferences. It also provides valuable data for educators and ACTE about students’ and teachers’ experiences with CTE.

As part of the program, your students can access Encourage, a free college and career planning app. This powerful tool allows them to explore and save majors and careers, see personalized college and scholarship matches, check out financial aid information, and manage tasks that will help keep them on track for graduation and beyond.

To have the most impact, we need your help! We’re delivering packages to your school and would love it if your class would complete and return the short college and career planning forms included. It’s quick, easy, free and totally voluntary.

If you don’t receive a package or prefer to participate electronically, email acte@myoptions.org with the subject “ACTE Form Package Request.” Our partners at myOptions Encourage will provide a link to the online planning form or send you a package of paper forms—whichever works best for you!

Learn more about myOptions Encourage here or check out the frequently asked questions.

Congress remained in recess this week, but Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) revealed that after recess concludes, he expects lawmakers to move forward with a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government from shutting down at the end of the fiscal year on September 30, providing Congress with additional time to complete FY24 appropriations bills. Even this CR is expected to be very contentious though, and as the appropriations process unfolds we will need your support in urging your lawmakers to support the highest possible funding levels for Perkins and additional education and workforce programs. In other items, disaster response to Hawaii, planning for the Farm Bill and discussions about foreign aid and national security were also in the headlines this week. With Congress in recess, most of this week’s specific news comes from the Administration:

• DOJ and ED Release Resources to Advance Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education: The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (ED) have released two resources to help postsecondary institutions understand the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action decision and continue to advance diversity and opportunity in higher education.
• Department of Labor Announces Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants: DOL has announced the availability of $65 million in funding to increase community colleges’ ability to provide equitable access to training to meet employers’ and workers’ skill development needs for in-demand industries.
• Application Materials Officially Posted for Career-Connected Learning Proposals: On August 14, ED’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) officially released the notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2023 for the Perkins Innovation and Modernization (PIM) Grant Program for Career-Connected High Schools. The link to the Federal Register notice is available here. The application deadline is October 13, 2023.

• Third OCTAE Unlocking Pathways Summit Held in Madison, Wisconsin: On Thursday, August 17, the Department of Education (ED) hosted the third Unlocking Pathways Summit series in Madison, Wisconsin, with a visit to Madison Area Technical College to promote state partnerships between school, industry and community organizations in support of career-connected learning. This visit, joined by Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, Under Secretary James Kvaal and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Unlocking Career Success ACTE Chief Policy, Research and Content Officer Alisha Hyslop represented ACTE at the summit.

• OCTAE Announces Career Z Challenge Winners: 81 applicants were selected as winners in the first phase of the Department of Education’s Career Z Challenge to expand work-based learning opportunities. These semi-finalists will now participate in a community of practice and receive technical assistance during this school year, as well as have the opportunity to earn $10,000 prizes for this phase of the competition. Up to 10 finalists will then be chosen as finalists for the next phase of the competition.
• Department of Education Student Loan Relief: ED has announced that automatic discharges will begin for additional borrowers who qualify for $39 billion in student loan relief as a result of fixes to income-driven repayment (IDR) plans.

• Department of Labor Launches Apprentice Trailblazer Initiative: The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the Apprentice Trailblazer initiative, which will create a national network of apprentices and apprenticeship graduates whose individual stories may inspire career seekers interested in becoming apprentices. The first cohort will be open for youth apprentices ages 16-24 or recent youth apprenticeship graduates along with their registered apprenticeship sponsors. Apply by September 30, 2023.

• Department of Labor Announces Funding to Help Youth, Young Adults with Disabilities:  DOL has announced the availability of more than $69 million in funding to support the development of innovative strategies that will help youth and young adults with disabilities transition to the workforce successfully.