CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

$550 Million Announced for Job-Driven Training Programs

At a community college on April 16, President Barack Obamaannounced the availability of $550 million in grant opportunities that tie in to the job-driven training initiatives included in his 2014 State of the Union address, such as Vice President’s review of federal job training programs. These grants come from existing funds in the Department of Labor.

The latest and final round of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grants will account for about $450 million of the announced opportunities. Originally created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, this competitive program is intended to foster partnerships between community colleges and regional business and industry to design training programs for high-skill, high-growth careers. This final round of applications will focus on three priorities of the Administration:

1. Scale-up in-demand job training through national industry partnerships.
2. Increase state-wide alignment of training programs to speed time to completion and seamless progression between levels of training.
3. Improve statewide employment and education data integration and use.

At least one TAACCCT grant will be awarded in every state, including Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Applicants that take into account the three priorities of the Administration may receive larger grant amounts. The deadline for applications is July 7. The full announcement and application instructions can be found at Grants.gov.

The other $100 million will come from the fees generated by H-1B visa applications and will fund a new “American Apprenticeship Grant” to reward partnerships between employers, community colleges, training providers, labor organizations, local and state governments, non-profits and the workforce system that expand access to apprenticeships. This program will prioritize applications that:

1. Launch apprenticeship models in new, high-growth fields.
2. Align apprenticeships to pathways for further learning and career advancement.
3. Scale proven apprenticeship models.

This focus on apprenticeships comes on top of a recent announcement by Vice President Biden to bolster apprenticeship opportunities through the creation of the Registered Apprenticeship – College Consortium.

Applications for the American Apprenticeship Grants are not yet available.

The Skills Gap Puzzle

A new report from CareerBuilder highlights the complex, confusing and multifaceted nature of the skills gap.

Research conducted in fall 2013 by CareerBuilder asked employers, academics and job seekers, including the employed, underemployed and unemployed, about the skills gap. A few major themes came to light:

• Employers reported hiring challenges, but many had no plans to expand on-the-job training (OJT): While 81 percent of employers said that it's at least somewhat difficult to fill job vacancies, only one-third reported offering re-skilling or cross-training, and 66 percent would not consider OJT if they were having difficulty locating candidates for a specific job.
• Many employers also had no plans to raise wages: Despite difficulties in filling job openings, three-quarters responded that they can be selective about job offers and 35 percent reported they can pay lower wages because of the unemployment rate.
• Job seekers and employers disagreed on the basis of the skills gap: Job seekers considered the problem to result from gaps in education and OJT, while employers pointed to a general lack of skills. Only 24 percent of employers reported that a lack of OJT is the problem.

In addition, 35 percent of employers noted that inflating the requirements for entry-level jobs is part of their skills gap problem. Job seekers also reported wishing they had gotten more career counseling in school.

The authors propose integrating more job-related skills into academic programs and highlight the role of community colleges in developing the workforce. In addition, the report suggests that employers partner with postsecondary education, change their perception of the talent and skills needed for entry-level positions and get past the fear that training employees will result in them leaving the company (in fact, research points to a higher level of loyalty from employees who receive training).

CTE Funding Spotlight: HHS Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Grant

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources & Services Administration announced this month that they are accepting applications for the federal Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training for Paraprofessionals grant. This grant opportunity is targeted at expanding the mental health and substance abuse workforce serving at-risk children, adolescents and transitional-age youth. Grant recipients will help to close the gap in access to behavioral health care services by increasing the numbers of adequately prepared behavioral health paraprofessionals working with at-risk children, youth and their families. Eligible applicants for paraprofessional certificate programs are accredited community and technical colleges, including tribal colleges and universities. Additionally, applicants for peer paraprofessional certificate programs may also include organizations recognized by their state government to offer peer paraprofessional training programs, culminating in state licensure or certification. The deadline to submit an application is June 3, 2014 and the full grant application package is available here.

• Grant: Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training for Paraprofessionals
• Source: Department of Health and Human Services
• Purpose: Expanding the behavioral health workforce by supporting education and training for behavioral health-related paraprofessionals
• Eligible Recipient: Community and technical colleges, and training programs for peer professionals in other settings as appropriate
• Application Deadline: June 3, 2014

Labor Announces 2014 WIA Incentive Grant Opportunity

The U.S. Departments of Labor and Education announced on April 15 that eight states have qualified to receive a portion of the incentive grant awards established under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). In order to qualify to receive a portion of this year’s funds, states must have exceeded performance levels during the 2012 program year under WIA title IB and title II.

Funds awarded to qualifying states can be used to support certain programs under WIA, including adult education, or for activities in support of the Perkins CTE Act.

Qualifying states and their eligible award amount include:

• Georgia - $1,428,125
• Idaho - $845,837
• Indiana - $1,130,999
• Maine - $819,433
• Oklahoma - $911,238
• Pennsylvania - $1,438,783
• South Carolina – 1,079,016
• Texas - $2,230,834

While states eligible to receive incentive grant funds must apply to the Department of Labor, the application form and requirements have not yet been made available. Once the applications are available, the due date for eligible states to submit their information is May 30.

For more information on the grant, please visit the announcement in the federal register.

Postsecondary Research Round-up: Transfer, ROI, Online Learning

According to a recent working paper examining the return on investment for students in the North Carolina Community College System, even small amounts of postsecondary credits have labor market value, associate and bachelor's degrees yield stronger returns than certificates and diplomas, and health sector credentials return very highly on investment.

A recent study on transfer joins the growing body of research demonstrating how important it is that students' credits be accepted by the receiving institution. Researchers found that students whose community college credits successfully transferred to four-year institutions were as likely to attain bachelor's degrees as their peers.

In another publication, the CALDER Center dug into the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to estimate the probability that dropouts from postsecondary education would have completed a degree, if they had made different enrollment choices. The researchers concluded that if students who had dropped out of four-year colleges had started at two-year colleges instead, they would have had a significantly higher chance of completing a degree. While much of this increase in attainment is from earning an associate's degree, the authors found that about one-third of the students who had left four-year colleges with no credential would have had a better chance of completing a bachelor's degree if they had started at a community college.

Finally, online enrollment at community colleges grew by 5.2 percent last year, according to the Instructional Technology Council, despite a slow-down in enrollments overall.

ACTE Announces New Policy Working Group for CTE Centers

Area career and technical education centers are an important component of the national CTE system and of many states. Because of the distinctive role that CTE centers play in education and workforce training, the state and federal policy issues affecting these institutions are often unique and distinct from other CTE program providers. ACTE wants to ensure that the needs of CTE centers are reflected in federal K-12, higher education and other policy issue areas. To better inform our policy and advocacy efforts, we are announcing the formation of a new policy working group for CTE centers. This group will provide educators and administrators with the opportunity to weigh in on ACTE’s federal policy initiatives and to discuss the unique policy challenges facing their programs and institutions.   

There will be an introductory conference call on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. (EST). Those interested in learning more about the working group are encouraged to participate. Please RSVP to ACTE Legislative Liaison Mitch Coppes ([email protected]) by April 28.

Standing Up for CTE

Review of Updating Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century, a March 2014 publication from the National Education Policy Center, asserts the value of CTE in preparing students to be college and career ready.

Authors Marisa Saunders and Jaime L. Del Razo of Brown University call into question the conclusions of a recent paper, Updating Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century, published  by The Lexington Institute. The original paper states that many CTE programs are outdated and fails to communicate that CTE is compatible with postsecondary education.

Saunders and Del Razo dissect the paper in-depth, but the excerpt below captures many of their criticisms of the report and highlights the positives of CTE:

"Unfortunately, while the report includes language consistent with this goal [of college and career readiness], it does not recognize or emphasize this as an essential element of successful high school CTE programs aimed at preparing students for the 21st-century workforce. Nor does the report lift up the high level of academic rigor that is characteristic of today's successful CTE programs, or the secondary and postsecondary alignment strategies that assist students in pursuing further education and training beyond high school graduation. By failing to capture these elements and strategies, the report misses an opportunity to present CTE as a viable alternative pathway to postsecondary education, rather than instead of postsecondary education."

Congress Heads Home for 2 Weeks

This afternoon will see a mass exodus of senators and representatives from Capitol Hill as they head back to their states and districts for the next two weeks. This congressional recess, from April 12 – 27, is an opportune time for you to set up meetings or arrange school visits with your Members of Congress as they are near your homes and schools.

Advocating for CTE at home is a key part of continuing the bipartisan support CTE receives in Congress. As we head into a reauthorization of the Perkins CTE Act, this “back home” advocacy is especially vital to make sure your voice is heard on Capitol Hill. Building a relationship with your Members of Congress or their staff will set you up as an expert on CTE and will have policymakers asking for your input when drafting legislation that will impact your classroom.

So what can you do to support your program, students and community during this recess?

• Host a school visit for your Senators or Representatives at your CTE program.
• Attend a coffee hour or town hall hosted by your Member of Congress, or say hello during a community event.
• Set up an in person meeting with your Member or their staff at their district office.
• Send an e-mail from your couch in support of CTE.

To find contact information for your Members or the location of their offices nearest you, visit the CTE Action Center’s directory. For information on possible town halls, coffee hours or other community events, check out the social media pages of your Members or their official websites.

 

CTE Highlighted in 2014 State of the State Addresses

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) has reviewed 2014 State of the State addresses to identify the education proposals - a number of which are relevant to CTE.

As we previously reported, a number of governors proposed investments in CTE in their 2014 State of the State addresses. Governors also announced new initiatives in CTE, including:

• A new program to foster manufacturing education in Delaware
• The expansion of CTE curricula and partnerships in Indiana
• The expansion of Advanced Career Programs, an integrated CTE-academic pathway developed by the Southern Regional Education Board, in West Virginia
• An effort to partner manufacturing firms with classrooms in New Hampshire

In addition, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley proposed a statewide workforce council, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal called for a High Demand Career Initiative and Idaho's governor proposed a more targeted use of the Workforce Development Training Fund. Other workforce proposals in 2014 state addresses noted by the National Skills Coalition include Ohio's proposed single state plan for Perkins, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and Adult Basic Education.

The ECS report also noted dual enrollment programs, which were featured in Delaware, Connecticut, Mississippi and Tennessee state addresses.

Engagement, Strengths-based Learning Key to Student Success

A recent Gallup Student Poll of U.S. fifth to 12th graders found that 55 percent of students were engaged in learning, 28 percent were not engaged and 17 percent were actively disengaged. In addition, students who strongly agreed that a) their school is committed to each students' strengths, and b) they have at least one teacher who promotes excitement about the future, were 30 times more likely to be engaged in school than students who strongly disagreed with those statements. 

The importance of emotional engagement in school, according to the State of America's Schools report, is backed by results from a 2009 Gallup study of more than 78,000 students nationwide, which found a relationship between student engagement and reading and math achievement: An increase of one percentage point in a school's student engagement score was associated with a six-point rise in reading scores and an eight-point rise in math scores.

One of the strategies the Gallup authors recommend to improve student success is personalized, strengths-based learning, including work-based and community experiences as well as participation in groups such as career and technical student organizations.