Recently, ACTE released an updated “STEM is CTE” fact sheet to describe how CTE is developing students’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills and preparing students to enter the STEM workforce.

CTE programs across the 16 Career Clusters® enable students to master STEM skills, such as computational thinking, that are increasingly required for both STEM jobs and for jobs not classified as STEM. CTE students also earn STEM industry credentials most requested in job as well as  educational credentials that allow them to pursue high-wage STEM careers in areas like data science, cybersecurity and data center operations.

We encourage ACTE members and CTE advocates to share this resource with students and families, education and workforce leaders, and policymakers to improve the public’s understanding of the connection between and the benefits of STEM and CTE.

Relatedly, this past week, the U.S. Department of Education announced their new “YOU Belong in STEM” initiative. This initiative will focus on improving student outcomes in STEM by promoting positive conditions for learning and development, such as by increasing students’ sense of belonging in the STEM classroom. In the coming weeks, the Department will provide more information related to guidance and technical assistance to elevate STEM teaching and learning.

Focus in DC continues to remain on the election as lawmakers are adjourned until after November 8. When they return, lawmakers are expected to continue work on fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriations packages and a potential tax bill negotiation during the “lame-duck” congressional session. This is a great time to review our advocacy toolkit resources and equip yourself with the tools you need to effectively advocate for CTE with policymakers, your community, the media and other stakeholders. We will soon have a new crop of legislators for the 118th Congress, which presents an opportunity to inform them about CTE and encourage their support! We will be covering the election and what it means for CTE over the next few weeks. In the meantime, ACTE will keep you updated on any key developments. Here are some news and notes:

• Department of Education Student Loan Forgiveness Beta Application Opens: On October 15, the Department of Education’s student loan forgiveness application opened for a beta release. Those who are eligible for forgiveness may begin submitting the application now. If you can’t access the beta application at first, try again later – the Department notes the application may be down at times. You can find the beta application here.

• Secretary of Education Cardona, Secretary of Labor Walsh Visit Boston Technology Institute: On October 15, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh visited Ben Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology in Boston to discuss job training programs in emerging industries, such as wind technology, autonomous vehicles and solar energy. Learn more about the visit here.

• Department of Education Launches “YOU Belong in STEM” Initiative: On October 12, the Department of Education launched “YOU Belong in STEM,” an initiative to galvanize the broad STEM education ecosystem to implement and scale equitable and high-quality STEM education for all young people from Pre-K to higher education. The Department plans to provide guidance and other technical assistance to elevate STEM teaching and learning. You can learn more about the initiative here.

• Illinois ACTE Media Tour Makes Final Stops at Alton, Collinsville Schools: On October 6, the 2022 Illinois ACTE Media Tour visited Collinsville Area Career Center and Alton High School to get a look at the programs offered by the two schools. Read more about the visit to Alton and Collinsville here.

• Illinois ACTE Media Tour Makes Stops in Mount Vernon and Salem, Illinois: On October 5, the Illinois ACTE media tour continued to Mount Vernon Township High School and Salem High School. Read more about the Mount Vernon and Salem stops here.

On October 6, the 2022 Illinois ACTE Media Tour visited Collinsville Area Career Center and Alton High School to get a look at the programs offered by the two schools.

Programs on display at Collinsville included automotive technology, autobody repair, construction, culinary arts, criminal justice, cybersecurity, early childhood, education, engineering, industrial electronics, health science, CNA, machining and welding.

Several key opportunities for the students were highlighted. From start to finish, Collinsville construction students are building a house that will be placed on the market. It is a single-level home that will include modern amenities. In the automotive technology program, local businesses Ranken, Ford and Auffenberg provide guidance and industry-standard equipment that prepares students to work in their local automotive shops and dealerships. Illinois State Representative Katie Stuart and State Senator Kris Tharp were in attendance to view the programs. Both representatives shared that they learned a lot about CTE and career pathways after their visit.

Alton CTE programs showcased during the tour included agriculture, food, and natural resources, architecture and engineering, arts, audio/video technology and graphic design, automotive technology, business management and administration, computer networking and programming, construction, culinary, textiles, early childhood education and welding.

The top-notch welding facilities are one of the largest areas in the school, allowing the students to practice skills in a similar space to a professional welding shop. Large drafting tables and construction equipment are housed in the lab next door. The school’s outdoor greenhouse produces plants that students care for daily. A unique feature of Alton High School is their student-operated radio station, which broadcasts daily and can be heard across Southern Illinois. In addition, Alton boasts a strong environment for CTSOs – Alton's FCCLA chapter is the largest in the state of Illinois.

At Alton High School, Assistant Principal and CTE Director Mike Brey led the tour alongside Illinois State Representative Amy Elik and Illinois Board of Education officials. Kaleb Smith, CTE Director for Madison County, urged more industry partners to become involved with the county’s CTE programs through donations or helping to educate students about career opportunities available to them.

Photos from the tour are available here.

On October 4, the Illinois ACTE media tour continued to Mount Vernon Township High School and Salem High School.

Mount Vernon Township students benefit from a variety of cutting-edge programs. For example, Mount Vernon Township Fire Department equipment is used to ensure the students are fully trained with the tools they need to become skilled and safe firefighters. This includes everything from flame-resistant gear to the use of a full-size ladder truck to learn about aerial rescues. Robotics students build fully operational robots with digital screens and sponsor logos that they will use to compete in national and regional robotics competitions. The early childhood program prepares students for classroom teaching experiences, allowing them to step into the childcare workforce as soon as they graduate from high school. In each program, the importance of industry partnerships was discussed.

Salem High School programs on display included agriculture, automotive mechanics, business, construction, family and consumer sciences, health, industrial technology and manufacturing. The programs are very popular with students. For example, Salem’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program has seen its most extensive growth in recent years despite the challenges of the pandemic. During the tour, officials from Kaskaskia College also discussed their partnerships with Salem’s programs and their support of dual credit programs. Faculty at Salem shared their desire to give back to their communities through teaching at the high school.

Day three of the tour included Mount Vernon CTE Director Kara Andrews, Salem Mayor Nic Farley, Salem Principal John Boles, Madison County CTE Director Dwain Baldridge and Illinois Board of Education representatives. Salem High School school board officials, Illinois Board of Education officials and city council members from Salem also attended.

All the attendees at the tour stops expressed the strong community and local industry support for CTE and their commitment to supporting CTE for all learners while boosting community and student awareness of CTE.

Pictures from the tour can be found here.

This week in Washington was another quiet one for CTE-related policy items with lawmakers now adjourned until after the November midterm elections. Lawmakers are expected to continue work on fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriations packages and a potential tax bill negotiation during the “lame-duck” congressional session after November 8. This is a great time to review our advocacy toolkit resources and equip yourself with the tools you need to effectively advocate for CTE with policymakers, your community, the media and other stakeholders. We will soon have a new crop of legislators for the 118th Congress, which presents an opportunity to inform them about CTE and encourage their support! We will be covering the election and what it means for CTE over the next few weeks.  In the meantime, ACTE will keep you updated on any key developments. Here are some news and notes:

• Illinois ACTE Media Tour Makes Stops in Carbondale, Harrisburg: On October 4, Illinois ACTE and ACTE visited Carbondale Community High School CTE programs and postsecondary CTE programs offered through Southeastern Illinois College. Across both tour stops, guests viewed several cutting-edge CTE programs. Read more from the visits here.

• Illinois ACTE, ACTE Tour O’Fallon Township High School and Belleville CTE Programs: On October 3, ACTE and Illinois ACTE conducted a site visit to three southern Illinois secondary institutions that have demonstrated exemplary commitments to supporting CTE in their schools. Read more about the first day of the tour here.

• Department of Labor Announces Funding to Support Nursing Workforce: The Nursing Expansion Grant Program will support nursing training programs designed to expand the pipeline of nursing professionals while advancing equity and creating pathways for workers to fill these jobs and improve the nation’s healthcare system. The funding application is available here. Read more about the grants here.

• School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program (SBMH) Now Accepting Applications: The Department of Education SBMH grant program provides competitive grants to state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and consortia of LEAs to increase the number of credentialed school-based mental health service providers delivering school-based mental health services to students in LEAs with demonstrated need. This grant program provides $144 million each year for 5 years. Two technical assistance webinars for prospective applicants will be provided: one on October 11th, 2022, and one on October 19th, 2022. The application will close on November 3, 2022.

• Jill Biden Visit to Tacoma Technical College: On October 6, First Lady Jill Biden visited Bates Technical College in Tacoma, Washington to highlight the college’s workforce development programs and emphasize the need to invest in workforce training. You can read more about the visit here.

Today, ACTE released an update to its “What is a Credential?” fact sheet to help CTE supporters define and distinguish between different types of commonly awarded credentials.

The sheet describes different types of credentials and provides a chart that enables users to see the differences and similarities between credentials at a glance. Additionally, the fact sheet discusses other important terms relevant to the credential landscape such as recognized postsecondary credentials and non-degree credentials.

We encourage ACTE members and CTE advocates to share this resource with students and families, education and workforce leaders, and policymakers to improve the public’s understanding of the types of credentials offered by CTE.

Graduate Earnings: The Texas Public Policy Foundation analyzed recent program-level data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard to identify the median annual earnings of postsecondary students three years after graduation, mainly for those who graduated during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years. The following are some of the report’s key findings:

• Annual earnings for undergraduate certificate and associate degree holders were $25,273 and $34,123, respectively, compared to $46,865 for bachelor’s degree holders.
• Associate degree holders’ earnings were greater than bachelor’s degree holders’ in some states, including Alabama, Montana and North Dakota.
• Among the most popular programs on the associate degree level, the top-earning programs included electromechanical instrumentation, nursing, industrial production, dental support and electrical transmission installation, with annual earnings for some reaching over $60,000.
• Among the most popular programs on the associate degree level, electromechanical instrumentation, industrial production and vehicle maintenance experienced the largest growth in earnings, with increases of more than $6,000 over the three years after graduation.

Federal Student Aid: In August, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators released their annual report on postsecondary student aid. The report reviews the most recent statistics available for each federal aid program, including the average amount awarded, the percentage of recipients by institution type and federal appropriations. One key finding from the report is that during the 2019-20 award year, 29% of Pell grant recipients, 26% of Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program recipients, and 12% of Federal Work-study recipients were enrolled at public two-year institutions. You can read more in-depth findings from the report here.

Postsecondary Education Perceptions: New America recently published results from their sixth annual nationally representative survey on postsecondary education. For the 2022 edition, researchers surveyed adults over the age of 18 about their perceptions of the value of postsecondary education:

• Since early 2020, the percentage of adults stating that postsecondary institutions are leading the U.S. in a positive direction declined from 69% to 55%.
• About 73% of adults believe that a postsecondary credential is needed to ensure financial security and 76% say that postsecondary education is a good return on investment.
• Out of all postsecondary education institutions, most adults stated that community colleges contribute to a strong workforce.

Postsecondary Enrollment: A recent research study conducted by HCM Strategists and Edge Research on behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, surveyed between January and April 2022 high school graduates aged 18 to 30 who decided not to enroll in postsecondary education or stopped out of a two-year or four-year program. As postsecondary enrollment drops nationwide, the findings from this survey aim to determine why individuals are choosing not to attend or complete their education:

• About 46% of respondents plan on enrolling in or returning to postsecondary education, 41% are unsure and 13% don’t plan on going.
• Respondents had experience with or are currently pursuing other educational options, with the most popular choices being YouTube online courses as well as courses that lead to licenses and certificates.
• The most valued educational opportunity cited by respondents was on-the-job training. In fact, 70% agreed that on-the-job training is the best path to career advancement.
• Financial constraints, stress, current employment and uncertainty about their career were top reasons for not enrolling or completing their postsecondary education.
• After financial assistance, respondents stated that program flexibility, job counselors and opportunities for real-world, hands-on opportunities would help them complete or get a degree.

Relatedly, Strada Education Network studied the perspectives of individuals who hold an associate degree or less on the possibility of future postsecondary education enrollment. Researchers surveyed respondents between spring 2020 and fall 2021 and followed up with some individuals in spring 2022 to reveal the following:

• In fall 2021, 44% of respondents said they were likely to enroll in postsecondary education, a significant increase from spring 2020, with higher percentages among respondents aged younger than 34, Black respondents and respondents with some college, but no credential.
• According to the follow-up survey, one out of six individuals who were likely to enroll did so.
• Respondents echoed similar opinions as those from the HCM Strategists and Edge Research survey about supports that would help them enroll such as flexibility, financial aid and work-based learning.