On May 3, the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on supporting and developing the broadband workforce. Members of the subcommittee heard from broadband experts and stakeholders about the need to improve broadband access across the country. 

Brent Gillum, president and CEO of Indiana telecommunications provider LightStream, described the ways that Congress can help support broadband providers. 

“A concerted effort by industry, government and educational interests will be needed to develop a skilled workforce able to meet this challenge and fulfill this national mission by deploying next generation wired and wireless networks,” said Gillum. “To develop the telecommunications jobs needed in the short-term and mid-term, Congress could help by bolstering the capabilities of postsecondary education, including two-year and four-year colleges, and other institutions and providing support for employers to expand registered apprenticeships and associated technical instruction and certification costs. 

Other measures Congress may consider would be to promote the ‘learn and earn’ model, whether through paid apprenticeships or internships. The federal government can assist in supporting such programs or individual students in seeking these training programs. It could also look to support individual state efforts, like those with reimbursement programs for employers who pay for their employees to further their trade by being reskilled or upskilled.” 

Dan Hendricks, training director for the Denver Joint Electrical Apprenticeship and the Western Colorado Joint Electrical Apprenticeship, described the benefits of registered apprenticeships.  

“The contractors who provide the on-the-job training opportunities for our apprentices know this system works,” said Hendricks. “They know when they request an apprentice from the apprenticeship, they can count on getting a quality worker. A worker whose training they had a part in crafting even if that person has not worked for them before.”

Ron Holcomb, president and CEO of Indiana utility provider Tipmont Wintek, said that Tipmont Wintek is collaborating with Faith Christian Schools in Lafayette, Indiana, to develop a pathway program in CTE, which will be open to 600-plus students from an eight-county area. This hands-on, comprehensive CTE curriculum will start in the 2022-23 school year and inspire students to consider a career path in energy or broadband IT. 

Dr. Nicol Turner Lee of the Brookings Institution said that broadband and fiberoptic technicians and customer service positions have not seen enough workers to fill those positions, especially as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed by Congress. “There are not enough available trained workers to fill these in broadband occupations, mirroring the huge vacancies in cybersecurity jobs that also required a specialized approach to recruitment and training. An added challenge in fulfilling broadband roles is the geographic distribution of workers with these skills do not often match locations where jobs are most needed, like rural areas that will be laying fiber optics.” 

You can watch the full hearing at the link above.

On May 2, Members of Congress and Cabinet officials visited workforce development programs in Virginia to highlight the importance of investing in in-demand career training programs.

Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and CTE Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) visited Reynolds Community College and Armstrong High School in Richmond, Virginia, on Monday to speak with students enrolled in various CTE programs.

Secretary Cardona and Sen. Kaine also met with leaders of Richmond’s Teacher Residency Program, which aims to recruit and retain teachers to serve in high-need fields and schools. At the completion of the program, students will receive a graduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and will teach in Richmond Public Schools.

In addition, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh visited Thomas Nelson Community College and The Apprentice School in Newport News, Virginia, where they held a roundtable with students, higher education officials and local business leaders to discuss the importance of workforce development programs.

Rep. Scott noted the importance of registered apprenticeships to the Newport News Shipyard and other shipbuilders in Virginia.

Several Members of Congress have visited workforce development programs and CTE schools in recent weeks, including Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY) and Rep. Fred Keller (R-PA).

Last week was the first week back in session for both chambers of Congress after a two-week recess. It was a busy week with Congress focused on holding its first round of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 appropriations hearings, aid to Ukraine, considering additional COVID-19 aid and restaurant relief aid, pending nominations and border policy. The House will be out of session this week, but the Senate will stay in town, where negotiations have begun on the large economic competitiveness bill, known as America COMPETES/USICA, which contains several ACTE priorities. Here are some additional news and notes for your week:

• America COMPETES/USICA Updates: On April 28, the Senate held procedural votes to launch a formal conference process with the House, and more votes on motions to instruct conferees are expected next week. Informal negotiations have been ongoing, but this marks the next official step in the legislative process. Stay tuned as we continue to monitor the legislation and advocate for ACTE priorities included in the bill, including language in the House-passed America COMPETES Act similar to the JOBS Act and the College Transparency Act (CTA)!

• “Four Corners” Appropriations Leaders Meet to Discuss Fiscal Year (FY) 2023: Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), ranking member Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and ranking member Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) met for the first time in the FY 2023 funding cycle to discuss overall government funding levels. The “four corners” leaders hope to have an agreement on spending levels in the next few weeks.

• House FY 2023 Perkins Appropriations Letter Results: Recently, House CTE Caucus co-chairs Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) led a letter to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee requesting robust funding for the Perkins Basic State Grant program in the FY 2023 budget process. You can see the final letter, which was signed by 127 House members, here. A big thank you to ACTE members for your advocacy related to the letter!

• House Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Fiscal Year 2023 Department of Education Budget Request: On April 28, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the House Appropriations Committee held its first hearing in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 funding cycle, featuring testimony from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. During the hearing, several Members of Congress highlighted the need for strong workforce investments, although the Perkins Basic State Grant was not a topic of discussion.

• House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Surface Transportation Workforce: On April 27, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing to discuss bolstering the surface transportation construction workforce. The committee heard from several witnesses about the challenges that they are facing in the wake of workforce shortages, skills gaps and supply chain challenges.

• Joint Economic Committee Holds Hearing on Investments for Tomorrow: On April 27, the Joint Economic Committee of the House and Senate held a hearing titled, “Building on a Strong Foundation: Investments Today for a More Competitive Tomorrow.” You can watch the full hearing here.

• ETA Holds Webinar on Youth Apprenticeship Access in Rural Areas: On April 28, the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) held a webinar to discuss youth access to apprenticeships in rural communities across the country, highlighting examples of successful partnerships in several regions. Read more about the webinar here.

• COVID Relief Funding Update: During an event this week, Department of Education announced investments from government, non-profit organizations and the private sector to support student academic and mental health recovery as part of a broader effort to help students, schools, and communities recover from the pandemic. In addition, the Department of Treasury has released additional guidance on State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to emphasize they can be used for education expenses.

• Department of Education Announces Expansion of Second Chance Pell Experiment: The Department of Education has announced that it has invited 73 colleges and universities to participate in the third round of the Second Chance Pell Experiment, an initiative that provides access to federal Pell Grants for incarcerated individuals enrolled in participating programs. In related news, the White House also announced a series of activities, including education and job training initiatives, related to second chance opportunities for formerly incarcerated persons.

• Department of Education Announces Presidential Scholars Finalists: The Department of Education has announced the 2022 semifinalists for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Awards, which includes students who have demonstrated excellence in CTE.

• FCC Opens Third Emergency Connectivity Fund Window: Schools and libraries can submit requests for funding to improve internet access, purchase equipment and obtain up to 12 months of recurring services between July 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2023.

In March, President Biden signed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 into law, setting federal spending for education for the 2022-23 school year. Overall, Perkins Basic State Grant funding received a $45 million increase, putting total funding at $1.38 billion. The Department of Education recently released the allocations that will be dispersed to each state through the Perkins Basic State Grant formula on July 1 and October 1 of this year.  

While all states are receiving more funding in FY 2022, some states receive slightly different increases than others due to changes in state population and poverty levels that occur from year to year. Per-state Perkins funding increased between 2.74% and 4.1%, with five states (Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, South Dakota) and the District of Columbia receiving more than 4% to help bring them to the mandatory minimum funding level for small states set by Perkins V. In terms of net funding dollars, the largest states predictably saw the biggest increases. Texas will receive nearly $4.5 million more in FY 2022 than it did in FY 2023, with California, Florida, and New York trailing behind. The 11 states and the District of Columbia with the smallest net increase (all received $221,332) are lower-population states that receive less overall resources.  

To see the state-by-state breakdown of funding increases between FY 2021 and FY 2022, click here.  

On April 28, the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration held a webinar to discuss youth access to apprenticeships in rural communities across the country, highlighting examples of successful partnerships in several regions.

Vanessa Bennett, associate director of Jobs for the Future (JFF)’s Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning and Amy Haden, director of the Deep East Texas College & Career Academy, discussed their work and findings with apprenticeships related to rural east Texas.

JFF and DETCCA found that:

• Investments in transportation and digital access are essential for success.
• Place-based strategies and solutions are critical for rural areas.
• Work-based learning is an effective entry point into registered apprenticeships.

DETCCA partnered with local workforce boards and Texas’s Office of Apprenticeship to become a registered apprenticeship sponsor, integrated pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship into DETCCA programs, provided training to employers and community partners on apprenticeship and expanded partnerships with Chambers of Commerce, business groups and industry.

Zach Boren, Bhavani Arabandi and Jacqueline Rayfield of the Urban Institute discussed recommendations to advance apprenticeships for rural youth. The recommendations included:

• establishing apprenticeship coordinators
• advancing group (multiple employer) apprenticeships
• addressing the digital divide
• improving transportation (for youth) in the rural landscape

The team from the Urban Institute also addressed Iowa’s High School Apprenticeship Initiative, which is one example of a state program that has taken these recommendations to scale. The program has occupational focuses in manufacturing, welding, health care, child care and information technology, with approximately 40 high schools as sponsors of apprenticeship programs with nearly 100 employers in one- to two-year apprenticeships.

You can view the full webinar and supporting materials by creating an account on the WorkforceGPS website and visiting the Events tab.

On April 28, the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies of the House Appropriations Committee held its first hearing in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 funding cycle to examine the Department of Education’s FY 23 budget request, including testimony from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. During the hearing, several Members of Congress on the subcommittee highlighted the need for strong workforce investments, although the Perkins Basic State Grant was not a topic of discussion.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) noted that millions of STEM jobs must be filled and that one way to help close the skills gap in computer science and STEM education could be through public-private partnerships. Rep. Fleischmann asked Secretary Cardona what the Biden Administration is doing to improve computer science curriculum and literacy.

Sec. Cardona highlighted the Administration’s proposed Career-Connected High Schools Initiative as one potential pathway. Rep. Fleischmann followed up with a call for bipartisan co-sponsors of

Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) and Sec. Cardona mentioned a recent visit to Henry Ford Community College in Michigan, where he observed students making career connections. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) celebrated the increase to TEACH grants provided in the budget request.

Two Members of Congress, Reps. Andy Harris (R-MD) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) each mentioned the stigma of learning a trade skill instead of attending a four-year institution – Rep. Harris discussed the shortage of auto mechanics, while Rep. Roybal-Allard expressed the need to fix the stigma of choosing work-based learning.

You can watch the full hearing at the link above.

On April 27, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing to discuss bolstering the surface transportation construction workforce. The committee heard from several witnesses about the challenges that they are facing in the wake of workforce shortages, skills gaps and supply chain challenges.

Shoshana Lew, executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), testified about the importance of local labor hiring practices on transportation projects.

“CDOT contracted with the Community College of Denver’s Center for Workforce Initiatives in 2016 to advise CDOT on an appropriate goal and to prioritize programmatic recommendations,” Lew said.

The recommendations included the following:

• Identify and recruit for positions that would attract a broad candidate pool and provide transferable career pathways, such as laborers, equipment operators, commercial drivers, on-the-job trainees, administrative assistants and accounting clerks.
• Establish a sole workforce convener that would coordinate community intake hubs, standardize assessment and referrals and track training and placement outcomes.
• Align multiple training programs to create a pipeline system capable of preparing a wide range of students, job seekers, and workers, and ensuring existing or new training is included on the Colorado’s Eligible Training Provider List.

Tunya Smith, director of the Office of Civil Rights for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, noted that North Carolina is facing several challenges to growing the construction workforce.

“…the average age of North Carolina construction trades workers is approximately 50 years old. The impact of the expected labor shortage is amplified by the fact that many potential workers find construction trades unattractive and challenging to enter. Now more than ever, programs that target and prepare non-traditional populations and laborers are needed.”

Kari Karst, president and CEO of BX Civil & Construction in South Dakota, added that the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides sustainable work opportunities for transportation contractors, heavy contractors, building contractors and utility contractors, but is not without challenges. “This historic level of funding in our infrastructure when combined with recovering from a global pandemic, addressing a supply chain crisis, and implementing new federal requirements that were a part of the IIJA will create challenges for those of us tasked with rebuilding our infrastructure. Making reforms to higher education policy by making high-quality, shorter-term education and training programs eligible for federal Pell Grants would help reverse the skills gap, correct education funding inequities, and provide job training and credentialing opportunities that are in high demand,” Karst said.

“Congress must also increase Perkins CTE funding. The Perkins program is the biggest federal funding source to high schools and post-secondary vocational training programs in the country. Despite modest funding increases in recent years, the level and need of funding still has not kept up with inflation and rising demand.”

Kelly Kupcak, executive director of Oregon Tradeswomen, drew attention to the underrepresentation of women and people of color in the construction and transportation sectors.

“[These are] fields that provide good wages, benefits, and opportunities for a life-long career. Without intentional efforts to improve and support access to such publicly funded jobs, women, particularly women of color, are unlikely to benefit from these historic levels of investment. Nationally, women represent only 4 percent of construction apprentices. Infrastructure jobs also remain highly segregated for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) as well.”

You can watch the full hearing at the link above.