Supporting Learners with Disabilities: Although CTE coursework can improve employment opportunities for learners with disabilities, many face barriers to access and success in CTE programs. A recent Advance CTE brief examines survey responses from state CTE directors to determine how states are leveraging Perkins V to support learners with disabilities. The following summarizes some of the survey’s key findings:

• About 84% of state CTE directors plan to leverage Perkins V to improve access and success for learners with disabilities. The top-reported strategies include partnering with state special education offices, providing training on learner recruitment and reviewing disaggregated data.
• While most state CTE directors reported state and local collaboration with special education offices, they were less likely to take such actions as braiding funding or conducting cross-agency training.
• Barriers to enrolling students with disabilities in CTE programs include lack of coordination with special education, lack of educator training, hesitancy related to behavioral plans and safety, and admissions requirements.
• Only 13% of state CTE leaders share data by disability type with local recipients.
• Less than half of state CTE directors reported providing accommodations to learners with disabilities for credential examinations.

Although the findings uncovered challenges, they also revealed CTE leaders’ desire to improve outcomes for learners with disabilities. To act on this, the brief recommends fostering relationships with special education offices through Perkins V, providing decision-makers with CTE data disaggregated by disability type, creating cross-training opportunities with special education agencies, and utilizing accommodations to help learners succeed.

Barriers to Skilled Trades Careers: According to a survey by Stanley Black & Decker, 85% of young people value a skilled trades career, but only 16% are very likely to consider such a career. The survey interviewed high school sophomores, juniors and seniors; parents of students in these grades; and skilled trades professionals to gain a better understanding of misconceptions and factors that prevent youth from entering skilled trades careers. The following highlight the survey’s key findings:

• Only 42% of young people believe skilled trades workers earn at least $50,000. In reality, half of skilled trades workers with less than 10 years of experience earn at least $50,000 upon starting.
• Many young people don’t have an accurate idea of the required skills. For example, 23% said that skilled trades jobs don’t use cutting-edge technology when most workers stated they do.
• Underrepresentation of women in the industry plays a role. Young women were 15 percentage points less likely to report considering a skilled trades career.
• About 37% of young people reported never having a conversation with anyone about careers in the skilled trades, signifying a lack of exposure to these career options.

Keeping Pace with Workplace Innovations: The Community College Research Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology interviewed over 200 administrators, faculty and staff at eight community colleges with strong workforce programs to determine how community colleges are adapting their programs in response to workplace innovation, including changing skill demands and equity-related concerns. The report uncovered that workforce programs are making greater use of digital technologies, partnering with industry professionals, aligning short-term and long-term programs, and providing scholarships for short-term certificate programs in high-demand fields.

Recently, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center released its postsecondary enrollment estimates for the spring 2022 semester. While overall enrollment dropped compared to the spring prior, with community colleges representing more than half of enrollment declines, freshman and CTE program enrollment at two-year institutions increased significantly.

This spring, community college enrollment declined by 7.8% or 351,000 students, from the prior spring. Enrollment dropped the most among adults (-10.8%), full-time students (-10.7%) and women (-9.2%). Additionally, enrollment in community college certificate programs decreased by 3.7% this spring, which is notable compared to certificate programs’ 4.3% increase during the fall 2021 semester.

On a more positive note, freshman enrollees at community colleges increased by 3.1% this spring, demonstrating great improvement from the spring prior. In fact, nearly 60% of spring freshman began at a community college.

Most interesting to CTE advocates, enrollment in CTE programs at two-year institutions also significantly increased this spring. Agriculture programs experienced the largest enrollment growth, with a 47.8% increase. Enrollment in skilled trades programs also grew, including transportation and materials moving (28.9%); precision production (16.7%); and mechanic and repair technologies (11.5%). Construction programs grew 19.3%, returning to pre-pandemic enrollment levels.

Additionally, other CTE programs that saw significant enrollment increases include personal and culinary services (12.7%); computer and information sciences and support services (8.5%); and visual and performing arts (8.4%).

Possible reasons for the increases in CTE program enrollment include pent-up student demand from the pandemic, when some learners opted out of CTE programs that had moved online, as well as labor market needs in these industries and occupations.

On May 25, the Department of Health and Human Services’s Office of Early Childhood Development, within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), hosted a webinar with the Department of Labor and the Department of Education to highlight approaches to utilizing registered apprenticeships to support the child care and early childhood education workforce. 

Randi Wolfe, executive director of Early Care & Education Pathways to Success (ECEPTS) described ECEPTS’s commitment to the apprenticeship model.  

“We don't have the option of failing our apprentices,” said Wolfe. “We don't have the luxury of high rates of attrition given the crisis level shortage of workers across the country. Our newest innovation is our Community of Practice Institute, through which we train and support a cohort of eight to 10 community-based partnerships to design, develop and implement new registered apprenticeship programs, providing a model of how to efficiently and effectively expand apprenticeship across an industry.” 

Pamm Shaw, strategic funding and partnerships director for YMCA of the East Bay in northern California, discussed the pathways available to workers in early care and childhood education. 

“We have head start, early head start, early head start childcare partnerships, a preschool, as well as state funding. People do not come in and expect to just get 12 units in early childhood and an associate teacher permit, which is the California state requirement for the classroom. They expect to come in and get their MBA degrees, and we strongly encourage that.” 

Dr. Barbara J. Cooper, secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, noted Alabama’s ongoing efforts to support early childhood workforce development. 

“Our early childhood educator apprenticeship has helped to increase the quality of care in the early childhood setting by creating these opportunities to upscale our incoming workers and articulate coursework seamlessly between the community colleges and universities.” 

You can watch the full webinar here.

Last week in Washington was quiet for CTE-related policy items. Congress focused on responding to the school tragedy in Texas, holding several hearings and confirming pending nominees. Congress is now in recess until the week of June 6 for the Memorial Day holiday. Conference committee negotiators are still working to resolve differences on the America COMPETES Act/USICA, which could see movement during June legislative days. Conferees had set Memorial Day as an informal deadline for completing these negotiations, but the process is still ongoing. A new tentative deadline of July 4 has been discussed among congressional leadership. In the meantime, here are some important news and notes:

• Fiscal Year 2023 Perkins Senate Letter: Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led a “Dear Colleague” letter to be sent to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting robust funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in the FY 2023 Labor, Health, and Human Services appropriations bill. A copy of the letter and the complete list of signers is available here.

• Secretary of Education Testifies to House Education and Labor Committee: On May 26, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing with Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona about a broad range of education funding and policy priorities. Sec. Cardona highlighted the Department’s proposed career-connected learning initiative. In response to a question about Perkins Basic State Grant funding from Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), Sec. Cardona clarified that the Department would not advocate for a cut. Cardona replied, “What ended up happening and why the proposals are low is because we’re thankful for the [FY 22] omnibus package and the funding there. But our FY 23 proposal was due before the omnibus was done. So, we sent in a proposal using [FY 21] numbers and the [FY 22] package came out after our proposals came in.” You can view the full hearing at the link above.

• House Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Teacher Shortages: On May 25, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies discussed the teacher shortage crisis, including potential solutions, such as raising teacher salaries, credentialing reform, financial assistance, improving school leadership and the role of support staff such as counselors. Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) noted that CTE is one of the top 10 teacher shortage areas in the state of Virginia. You can watch the hearing here and read more about the hearing here.

• House Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Public Witness Hearing: On May 26, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies held its annual Public Witness hearing. Witnesses from across the health care, education and workforce spectrum were featured, including Bob Lamer of the California Workforce Association who advocated for WIOA Title I funding. You can view the hearing here.

• Department of Education Holds Summit on Mental Health in Higher Education: On May 23, the Department of Education held a virtual summit on mental health in higher education with a particular focus on supporting students with disabilities as they transition from school to careers. Read more about the summit here.
   
• Department of Education Opens Cybersecurity Education Award Nominations: Nominations of K-12 teachers for the Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award are now open! Nominations are due July 31, and more info is available here. Apply or nominate a CTE colleague today!
   
• Senate Takes Procedural Step on OCTAE Nomination: The nomination of Amy Loyd to serve as Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education is still pending in the U.S. Senate, but took a small procedural step forward on May 25. A vote could be scheduled soon. 

On May 23, the Department of Education held a virtual summit on mental health in higher education with a particular focus on supporting students with disabilities as they transition from school to careers.

Jen Mishory, deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) highlighted the importance of examining performance indicators in Perkins V and identifying discrepancies among CTE concentrators with disabilities using Perkins data. Within adult education, OCTAE is highlighting effective practices and utilizing the Learning Innovation Catalyst (LINC) system to build teacher effectiveness in engaging students with disabilities.

Dr. Chad Gestson, superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District, discussed the 30 CTE programs that the district offers. Phoenix Union schools worked with the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce to create ElevateEdAZ to assist with curriculum development, externships for teachers and paid internships for students.

ElevateEdAZ is focused on increasing the number of students completing high-quality education to workforce pathways that align with the needs of Arizona industries and businesses, including working with education partners to support students in completing industry credentials, earning postsecondary credit and participating in capstone work-based learning experiences.

Assistant Secretary Mishory also discussed the Department of Education’s Career Connected High Schools program that was proposed as part of the Biden Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget request for the Department.

David Arnold, assistant vice president at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), reiterated the need to destigmatize mental health and promote self-care strategies.

You can view the recording of the summit here.

Last week in Washington, Congress focused on responding to several issues, including responding to a shortage of baby formula, negotiating and passing Ukraine supplemental aid, and considering potential additional COVID-19 relief aid. Congressional action on CTE-related items was limited to the House passage of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) reauthorization, which you can read more about below. Only the Senate will be in session this week before both chambers recess for the Memorial Day holiday. Conference committee negotiators for the America COMPETES Act/USICA are also seeking to finish resolving their differences before the holiday, potentially setting up the legislation for passage in June. As we await more action, here are some news and notes:

• Employment and Training Administration Hosts Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship Meeting: On May 17, the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) hosted a meeting featuring stakeholders focused on how to expand access to apprenticeships. Read more about the meeting here.

• House Appropriations Committee Holds Hearing on Department of Labor FY23 Budget Request: On May 17, the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing with Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh to discuss the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget request for the Department of Labor. Read more about the hearing here.

• Fiscal Year 2023 Perkins Senate Letter: Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led a “Dear Colleague” letter to be sent to the Chair and Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting robust funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in the FY 2023 Labor, Health, and Human Services appropriations bill. The letter was scheduled to close on Friday, May 20, and a list of signers will be available soon!

• Committee for Education Funding (CEF) Letter to Appropriations Leaders: On May 10, ACTE’s coalition partner, CEF, sent a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees requesting a significant increase in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 allocation for the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill.

• House Passes WIOA Reauthorization: On May 18, the House of Representatives passed a reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) by a vote of 220-196, with just four Republicans joining the Democrats in favor of the bill. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden, it would replace the current WIOA law that was passed by Congress in 2014. Read more about the bill here.

• House Science Committee Holds Hearing on Electric Vehicle Workforce: On May 20, the House Science, Space and Technology Committee held a field hearing in Michigan on the development of the electric vehicle workforce. Read more about the hearing here.

• Secretary Cardona Visits Massachusetts Workforce Development Programs: On May 20, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited workforce development programs in Lowell, Massachusetts, with Reps. Lori Trahan (D-MA) and Jake Auchincloss (D-MA). During the visit, the officials toured biomedical science programs and discussed how schools are using American Rescue Plan funding to support schools and students and connecting students to career opportunities through Lowell’s early college program and high school pathways program. Read more about the visits here and view a press release about the visits here.

• House Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Juvenile Justice: On May 20, the Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on improving the juvenile justice system. Read more about the hearing here.

• Flexibility Offered for some COVID Relief Funding: The Department of Education has issued a letter outlining extensions available for some funding under the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER). States can request extensions for liquidation of funds properly obligated by the deadline of September 30, 2024, particularly if supply chain or construction delays occur.

On May 17, the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services held a hearing titled, “Examining Ways to Improve the Juvenile Justice System and Support America’s Young People.” While this hearing mainly discussed mental health supports and facilities offered to justice-involved youth, CTE was highlighted various times.

Four expert witnesses testified during this hearing:

• Lissette Burton, Chief Policy and Practice Advisor of the Association of Children’s Residential and Community Services
• Hasan Davis, Founder/Director of Hasan Davis Solutions L.L.C.
• Alan Loux, President and CEO of Rawhide Youth Services
• Karen Kolivoski, Associate Professor at Howard University School of Social Work

During the witness testimonies, Mr. Loux described his behavioral and mental health non-profit, Rawhide Youth Services, which provides justice-involved youth with education and work experiences, such as participation in an auto maintenance program.

After highlighting how CTE programs can provide both opportunities for justice-involved youth and address the nation’s skills gap, Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) asked Mr. Loux how Rawhide Youth Services’ work experiences have improved outcomes for justice-involved youth.

Mr. Loux noted that 50% of Rawhide’s participants don’t believe they can obtain a successful career upon entering the program, emphasizing the important role work experiences play in increasing self-esteem, building life skills and securing a job.

Rep. Thompson posed a similar question to expert witness Ms. Burton who provided findings from a study on Bonnie Brae, a New Jersey-based school that offers job training for justice-involved youth. The study found that Bonnie Brae youth who participated in job training were more likely to experience positive outcomes related to employment, school attendance, substance abuse and contact with the justice system compared to non-job training participants at Bonnie Brae.

Additionally, Rep. Thompson emphasized the importance of utilizing Perkins funding for CTE-related programs that engage justice-involved youth. States can use part of their Perkins funds allocated for state leadership activities for serving students in juvenile justice facilities or correctional institutions (along with other state institutions). Up to 2% of their overall allocation can be used in this way. In addition, local recipients could also choose to use their Perkins funds to support justice-involved youth in a number of ways.

Lastly, expert witness Mr. Davis discussed the need to increase job training opportunities for workers in the juvenile justice system to better meet the needs of justice-involved youth.

You can watch the full hearing here.