Apprenticeship: Earn-and-learn Opportunities Can Benefit Workers and Employers: A report from the Government Accountability Office examines current federal support for earn-and-learn opportunities, such as apprenticeships, and the benefits and challenges associated with these opportunities.

The researchers found that participants in Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) are largely concentrated in high-wage, high-demand fields. Of the 10 most common RAP occupations, six are projected to grow faster than the average occupation by 2033 and nine pay above the median wage. The top three occupations for RAP participants in 2024 were electricians, plumbers/steamfitters and computer-related occupations. RAP participants also earned higher wages and completed their programs at a higher rate compared to two-year certificate or associate degree students.  

Despite strong federal support for apprenticeships, stakeholders identified barriers that hinder their growth, including awareness gaps, administrative burden and pressure to pursue a full-time college education. 

Policy Blueprint to Modernize and Expand Apprenticeship Nationwide: A brief from Jobs for the Future describes the current landscape of apprenticeships, arguing that the nation should expand these opportunities to meet the evolving needs of the workforce. Accordingly, the authors pitch several policy recommendations for policymakers to consider, including: 

• Reimagining how apprenticeships are funded by not only increasing funding but also utilizing funding streams such as WIOA and Perkins, establishing tax credits and adopting a formula-based funding model. 
• Streamlining the process for apprenticeship registration, supporting apprenticeships that are competency based in addition to time-based programs and establishing clear timelines for registration. 
• Strengthening pathways into apprenticeships beyond youth apprenticeships by expanding work-based learning opportunities and aligning service programs, like AmeriCorps, with apprenticeship pathways. 
• Reforming data collection and quality standards by creating a centralized apprenticeship database instead of relying on fragmented state data, which is often riddled with errors and duplicate information. 

Evaluating the Effects of Virginia’s Workforce-targeted Free College Program: A report from the Annenberg Institute evaluates the outcomes of Virginia’s Get a Skill, Get a Job, Get Ahead (G3). The initiative, which was enacted in 2021, provides tuition assistance for students enrolled in community college programs that lead to high-demand careers, such as education or skilled trades.  

The researchers analyzed data from the Virginia Community College System and found that the initiative increased student grant and financial aid use while also reducing borrowing. These effects were concentrated on middle-income students, a population that may not receive full Pell Grants or other forms of financial assistance. The initiative also increased FAFSA completion, enrollment in eligible G3 programs and certificate attainment. Middle-income students in G3 programs were found to be more likely to earn a certificate than students in non-G3 programs. 

The Emerging Micro-credential Movement in K-12 Education: A report from FutureEd analyzes the evolution of micro-credentials in K-12 education, outlining challenges in this shifting landscape: 

• There is little trust in the value of micro-credentials among employers and colleges. The current micro-credential landscape is massive, and stakeholders lack the tools to assess their value. There is also a mismatch between the skills micro-credentials offer and the skills employers want to see.
• It is difficult to adapt existing infrastructure to implement micro-credentials. To encourage micro-credential attainment in a K-12 setting, schools need to invest in professional development. Micro-credentials must also be rigorous, portable and aligned to academic standards. 
• Many educators worry that micro-credentials would become a form of tracking for students who struggle in a traditional education setting. 

This week, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testified before lawmakers in both chambers of Congress.

On Tuesday, she testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies on President Trump’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget request for the Department of Education (ED). Then on Wednesday, she testified before the House Committee on Education and Workforce on the policies and priorities for ED.

Senators questioned McMahon about the proposed budget for ED, which would cut funding by 15%. Notably, Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith (R-MS) asked McMahon to provide more details about ED’s plans to fund CTE programs. In response, she said, “we're looking very much across all states and we're level funding CTE. It's not being reduced.”

Sec. McMahon returned to the Hill on Wednesday where she emphasized that her main policy priorities for ED include risk sharing related to student loans at postsecondary institutions and workforce Pell. Many other topics were covered in the three-hour hearing that often got contentious.

In support of workforce Pell, McMahon stated that “bold reforms” are needed to help fill the more than 8 million open jobs in the United States.

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) asked about proposed plans to move the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) to the Department of Labor. McMahon stated, “I can tell you that one of the executive orders from the president was that the Commerce Department, Department of Labor, and Department of Education should coordinate and look at workforce programs. There are over 50 – 43 different workforce development programs across all of the agencies. It's certainly inefficient in operation. So, I have had many discussions with Commerce. I've had many discussions with the secretary of labor, and I think there are opportunities to move some of those programs.”

When asked to clarify, McMahon confirmed that she has had discussions to move OCTAE “to the other agencies,” but did not elaborate further on the specifics of OCTAE’s future at ED.

Also of note, Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA), Co-Chair of the House CTE Caucus, asked about ED’s recent decision to eliminate the contract for the National Evaluation of Career and Technical Education (NECTEP) under Perkins. He noted that Congress is set to begin work on reauthorizing Perkins and this data is vital to that work. The NECTEP data was set to be completed and lawmakers want to “maximize opportunities” when reauthorizing legislation. 

McMahon said in response, “we're going to continue to collect the data that we need to collect.” She added that she would look further into the specifics of the NECTEP contract and get back to lawmakers.

Advance CTE recently released a comprehensive report analyzing the current landscape of nondegree credentials, including certificates, industry-recognized credentials, apprenticeship certificates and occupational licenses. Through a national scan of state practices, a 50-state survey and interviews with state leaders, the report shares four key findings:

• Forty-four states have made lists of recognized credentials publicly available, including 34 states with a formal approval process. The most common approval strategy is employer recommendations, followed by educator recommendations, occupational demand data and wage data. Many states have multiple lists for different populations, programs or funding streams.  
• States are farther behind in developing consistent processes for revalidating approved credentials. Only 27 states have a process to revalidate credentials, while only 14 states take occupational wage information into consideration for reapproval. In addition, less than half of states have a process for phasing out credentials and 13 states reported not removing any credentials in the past five years. 
• States are investing in accountability measures and incentives to increase credential attainment. Twenty-six states include industry-recognized credentials in their ESSA and/or state accountability systems; 22 states measure credential attainment as a Perkins V secondary program quality indicator; and 10 states incorporate industry credentials in their high school graduation requirements. Thirty-five states fund credentials with either federal and/or state funds, including 30 states that cover assessment costs and 23 that fund specialized professional development for teachers. 
• Although 35 states collect data to inform their credential data systems, only 15 collect at least three leading indicators such as pass data, and only eight report examining the outcomes of credentials. Common data elements that many states track include certification names, CTE program enrollment and credential providers. 

For each of these findings, the report provides recommendations and reflection questions for state CTE leaders to consider as they work to improve their state’s credential system. Recommendations include taking a unified approach across K-12, postsecondary and workforce; developing stronger revalidation processes; and structuring incentives to focus on credentials that have demonstrated value.  

Alongside the report, Advance CTE also released two data dashboards: one contains information on how states are approaching credentials, and the other lists the top employer-requested credentials, filterable by Career Cluster and state. 

On Friday afternoon, May 30, the Trump Administration released its full Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget request. This comes after they released their “skinny” budget request last month.

The full budget reinforces the President’s request to cut $12 billion in discretionary spending for the Department of Education (ED). ACTE previously posted about the initial request when it was released in early May.

While information on CTE funding wasn’t included in the initial budget request, the more detailed budget does shed light on the Administration’s priorities related to Perkins. The budget calls for the Perkins State Grant to be level funded for FY 2026 at approximately $1.44 billion. However, there is language in the budget proposal that indicates the Administration wants to shift Perkins funds “to exclusively support middle and high school students at the district level,” and not postsecondary programs. This type of change could not be made without amendments to Perkins.

The National Programs account would be decreased by $2.2 million, leaving the account funded at $10.2 million. In the request, the Administration said that this funding would “support research, development, dissemination, evaluation, assessment, capacity building, and technical assistance activities.” Funds would also be allocated within that total for the Perkins Innovation and Modernization grant, which is suggested to be used “to enhance connections between the education system and Registered Apprenticeships to support unifying the public workforce system, States' career and technical education systems, and the Registered Apprenticeship system.” This would represent a shift from the current grant purposes.

Additionally in the budget request, the Administration requested no funding for adult education programs, which would effectively eliminate the program if enacted. The budget states, “States and localities, not the Federal government, are best suited to determine whether to support the activities authorized under this program or similar activities within their own budgets and without unnecessary administrative burden imposed by the Federal government.” The document goes on to say that federal resources from this account would be redirected to programs like the Perkins State Grants; however, it does not formally move any additional funding into the Perkins account.

Other proposals for ED include:

• 80% reduction in Federal Work Study
• Cuts to the maximum Pell Grant award
• Level Funding for the Every Student Succeeds (ESSA) Title I Grants for local education agencies
• A new $2 billion block grant, called the “K-12 Simplified Funding Program,” would consolidate 18 formula and competitive grant programs but reduce overall funding by 69% across these programs
• $60 million increase for Charter Schools

Funding in the proposal for the Department of Labor (DoL) would be reduced by nearly 35 percent. The budget also calls for combining 11 existing programs into a $2.96 billion block grant called “Make America Skilled Again” (MASA), which would consolidate the following workforce development programs:

• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Adult grants
• WIOA Dislocated Worker grants
• WIOA Youth grants
• Wagner-Peyser Employment Service State Grants
• Dislocated Worker National Reserve (including the Strengthening Community Colleges program)
• YouthBuild
• Apprenticeship Program
• National Farmworker Jobs Program
• Indian and Native American Programs
• Reentry Employment Opportunities
• Workforce Data Quality Initiative

The proposed funding level represents a 24% cut from current funding levels of these programs. The DOL budget proposal also includes the elimination of Job Corps and several other programs, and shifting the Bureau of Labor Statistics to the Department of Commerce.

Congress returns this week and will continue their work on full FY 2026 appropriations bills. As Congress continues this work, ACTE will be advocating for a robust investment in CTE (at both the secondary and postsecondary levels) as well as other critical programs that increase access to learners of all ages. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Jimmy Koch (jkoch@acteonline.org).

Congress was on recess this week but will return to DC on Tuesday. The Senate will begin work on the budget reconciliation bill (passed by the House before the Memorial Day recess), while the House is shifting in earnest to work on FY 2026 appropriations bills following the Administration’s release of its full budget request. ACTE will provide more coverage of these events as they unfold, keep reading for more details!

• Administration Releases Full Budget Proposal: Following the release of a budget outline early in May, late on Friday the Administration released its full budget proposal. The Department of Education budget request contains a few more details than the original outline, including a proposal for level funding for the Perkins Basic State Grant. However, there are many detailed cuts across both the education and labor portions of the budget, as originally included in the budget outline. More analysis will be available soon!
• Dear Colleague Letter Finalized in Senate: Forty senators signed a letter to the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee requesting an increase in Perkins funding for FY 2026. Check out the letter and make sure to thank senators that signed on!
• House Committee on Education and Workforce to Hold Hearing on ED’s Priorities: Secretary McMahon plans to testify before the House Education and Workforce Committee in a hearing next Wednesday titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education.” ACTE will cover this on social media and the blog, so be sure to tune in!
• House Education and Workforce Committee to Hold Hearing on DOL’s Priorities: Secretary Chavez DeRemer plans to testify before the House Education and Workforce Committee in a hearing next Thursday regarding the budget and priorities for DOL. ACTE will share any relevant updates!
• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee to Hold Hearing on Education, Labor Nominees: The Senate HELP Committee is holding a hearing next Thursday on four of the Trump Administration's nominees at ED, DOL and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
• DOL Pauses Job Corps Center Operations: DOL announced it will begin a phased pause in operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide. This will take effect by June 30, 2025, and aligns with the President’s FY 2026 budget proposal.
• Government Accountability Office (GAO) Releases Review of Registered Apprenticeships: The GAO released a general overview of earn-and-learn programs, primarily focusing on registered apprenticeships and covering programs across the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Veterans Affairs, Labor and Education.

Advance CTE has released two new resources for students, educators and other stakeholders interested in learning more about the updated National Career Clusters® Framework.

The Industry Sector Profiles compile industry-related information for each Career Cluster, including an analysis of quantitative and economic data organized by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) codes as well as national labor market data. Advance CTE also worked alongside various national CTSOs to develop a resource that highlights how the CTSOs are aligning with the Framework. 

For more information and resources, visit Advance CTE’s website. 

This has been a busy week on Capitol Hill as Congress held multiple hearings relevant to education and workforce development across both chambers. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon both testified before Congress this week to discuss the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget request. Meanwhile, the House passed its budget reconciliation bill, shifting the process to the Senate. Congress is scheduled to take recess next week, but will back in DC in June!  

• House Passes Reconciliation Bill: The House of Representatives passed its budget reconciliation proposal on May 22. The process now shifts to the Senate where it is certain to face many changes from Senators. Budget reconciliation allows for changes to tax and mandatory spending programs and can sidestep the filibuster in the Senate. It cannot impact discretionary spending, which will be addressed in the FY 2026 appropriations bills. Read more about how the bill would impact education on the blog.  

• Senate HELP Committee Advances Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE): The Senate HELP Committee voted to advance several of the President’s nominees at the Department of Labor (DOL), the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission and the Department of Education (ED). Included in these nominees is Kevin O’Farrell, nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of OCTAE. Learn more about O’Farrell from ACTE’s statement regarding his nomination.  

• McMahon Testifies Before House Appropriations Committee: Secretary McMahon testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. Her testimony focused on the Trump Administration’s budget proposal outline for FY 2026. Read more on the blog. 

• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Holds Hearing on the State of Higher Education: The Senate HELP Committee held a hearing on the state of higher education. One of the witnesses, Russell Lowery-Hart, is the chancellor of Austin Community College and spoke of the critical role that community colleges play in innovation and workforcetraining. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) used this hearing to promote short-term Pell Grants, pressing the committee to mark up the JOBS Act, which is endorsed by ACTE.  

• House Subcommittee on Education and Workforce Development Holds Hearing on DEI: The House Subcommittee on Education and Workforce Development held a hearing to address DEI issues in education, discussing some of the recent funding cuts and other actions taken related to the Administration's agenda around this topic.  

• Secretary Lori Chavez De-Remer Testifies Before Senate HELP Committee: Secretary Chavez-DeRemer testified before the Senate HELP Committee regarding the President’s “Skinny” Budget Request for DOL. Check out the blog to learn more about the budget request.  

• Democratic Lawmakers Send Letter to Secretary McMahon on Federal Funding Delays: Several lawmakers with minority leadership roles sent a letter to Secretary McMahon to address recent delays in providing states and school districts with information about formula funding that had been previously appropriated. While Perkins allocations for FY 2025 have been released, many other grant allocations have not.  

• Judge Rules Against Staffing Cuts at ED: A federal judge has ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of employees fired at the Department of Education through a “Reduction in Force” earlier this year, stating that the firings were akin to dismantling the agency, which only Congress can do, would keep the agency from fulfilling its core functions. The Administration has appealed the ruling and next steps in the legal process are uncertain.   

• More on Staffing Challenges at ED: Related to the legal argument that layoffs have impeded core activities at the Department, a recent survey, published by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) found that postsecondary financial aid offices nationwide have reported recent operational delays, breakdowns in federal support systems and insufficient communication with ED.  

• Secretary McMahon Announced Proposed Priorities for ED Discretionary Grants: Secretary McMahon announced her first three proposed priorities for ED discretionary grants, including evidence-based literacy, expanding education choice and returning education to the states. The Administration will align discretionary grant competitions with these priorities in the future.