CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Sec. Acosta Pressed on Workforce Training Cuts in Budget Hearing

This week, Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta again went before congressional appropriators to defend the Trump budget request for federal employment and training services. Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) expressed doubts about the budget request, specifically citing the 40 percent reduction to state formula grants under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). “I am concerned that reducing funding so much and so suddenly from worker training could further jeopardize our workforce development system, contribute to increasing problems that might hinder individuals and businesses, and have a negative impact on the economy,” said Blunt. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the committee’s ranking Democrat, went even further and described the president’s budget as “indefensible” and “deeply harmful” for American workers. She noted that the proposed cuts would result in 9 million individuals, including displaced workers and veterans, would lose access to training services. Acosta argued that the budget proposal is intended to streamline workforce training programs that are duplicative and provide overlapping services. However, Sen. Murray noted that WIOA, which was passed by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support only three years ago, has already streamlined programs and eliminated areas of duplication within the workforce training system.

Sec. Acosta touted the Administration’s recent Executive Order on apprenticeships.  While a supporter of apprenticeships, Sen. Murray expressed her concern that the plan to promote industry-recognized apprenticeships would loosen existing standards and quality controls under the register apprenticeship system. Additionally, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) pushed Acosta to clarify that industries that have already widely adopted apprenticeships to train workers, including the construction and building trades, would not be excluded based on a provision in the order that would allow the department to deny the expedited and streamlined registration “in any sector in which Department of Labor registered apprenticeship programs are already effective and substantially widespread.” Though pressed by multiple members of the committee, Acosta was vague on the Administration’s position on the issue.

Department of Education Seeks Input on Federal Regulations

Rolling back federal regulations has been a top priority of the Administration and Republican leaders in Congress. In February, the White House issued an executive order tasking each federal agency with establishing a task force to review existing regulations and “make recommendations to the agency head regarding their repeal, replacement, or modification.”

On June 22, the Department of Education’s task force issued an update on their work titled “Regulatory Reform Task Force Progress Report.” The progress report identifies more than 150 regulations and 1,722 pieces of policy guidance (including 17 at OCTAE) that the agency is reviewing, and outlines the process that is being used to conduct the review and gather input for the next steps of the process. While much of the review is still underway, some notes are included in this initial report, such as the fact that the task force recommends rescinding regulations related to the 1990 Perkins Act because that law has been since updated (in 1998 and 2006).

Now the Department of Education wants to hear from stakeholders, and has developed a formal process to receive that input. A notice was recently published in the Federal Register requesting comments from members of the public. The Department wants to know about regulations or guidance documents that are particularly burdensome for state and local grant recipients, and asks for respondents to be as specific as possible:

Providing a Federal Register (FR) or CFR citation when referencing a specific regulation or, where practicable, a link when referencing a particular guidance document; including any supporting data or other applicable information; providing specific suggestions regarding repeal, replacement, or modification; and explaining with specificity why the referenced regulation or guidance should be repealed, replaced, or modified. Wherever possible, please list the citations to the specific regulatory sections or titles of guidance documents to which your comments pertain in a subject line or otherwise at the beginning of your comments. We are particularly interested in regulatory provisions that you find unduly costly or unnecessarily burdensome.

Comments are due on August 21, 2017. If you have ideas for regulations that should be considered for modification or repeal, please let us at ACTE know as well so that we can echo your concerns! You can comment below or email Alisha Hyslop at ahyslop@acteonline.org.

House Passes Perkins Reauthorization Bill

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted by voice vote without objection to pass H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. The bill would reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) through Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. ACTE released a joint statement of support for the bill’s passage with Advance CTE. H.R. 2353 is very similar to the bill passed by the House of Representatives last year to reauthorize Perkins (H.R. 5587), and would make important improvements to the federal system of support for CTE. We also sent a letter to all Members of Congress supporting House passage and outlining our remaining concern with the secondary concentrator definition. 

After the bill’s passage, its cosponsors and other leaders from the CTE community held a press conference outside the Capitol. ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Wilson was pleased to participate in this event, and share our thanks for the bill’s passage. A Facebook live video of the press conference can be found at https://www.facebook.com/AdvanceCTE/videos/1314144092039071/.

Work on Perkins will now be focused in the Senate, where concerns around issues of Secretarial authority stalled discussions last fall. We are hopeful that the Senate will make Perkins reauthorization a priority in the coming months, and will be working with them to ensure a strong, bipartisan piece of legislation as the process continues. You can read a summary of the bill as passed by the House here. 

Aligning CTE and Apprenticeships

A new report, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education and prepared by Advance CTE with support from Jobs for the Future, Vivayic and RTI International, describes how CTE and apprenticeship can align to the benefit of students. The research assesses eight secondary programs—one Registered Apprenticeship, one youth apprenticeship and six pre-apprenticeships—for their level of instructional alignment and articulation with full apprenticeship.

In-depth exploration of the eight study sites illustrates a variety of strategies, as well as trade-offs between narrower occupational training with strong links to apprenticeships and broader programs that are less articulated to apprenticeships but offer more exploration.

The authors derive many takeaways from the research, including:

• Students and parents are more engaged when postsecondary connections are promoted as part of the program.
• Study sites use various funding sources, including local contributions, state secondary and postsecondary education formulas, and Perkins funding.
• Tax credits can help to convince small businesses that participation would be at least cost neutral.
• Transportation is an ongoing challenge, except for sites in urban centers.
• Programs overcome legal barriers in various ways, such as relying on employer partners to explain relevant labor laws or extending school liability coverage.

This report is being released just as President Trump has signed an executive order promoting apprenticeships. However, this welcome attention to workforce development contrasts with the Administration’s FY18 budget proposal, which calls for a 15-percent cut to Perkins and a 40-percent cut to Department of Labor WIOA programs. 

Year-Round Pell Returns July 1

Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that year-round Pell grants will once again be available to students beginning on July 1. Thought the program was phased out due to budget cuts in 2012, Congress voted to reinstate year-round Pell eligibility in the Fiscal Year 2017 funding bill that passed last month. In its guidance to postsecondary institutions, the department indicates that eligible students, who must be  enrolled at least half-time, can receive up to 150 percent of their Pell grant award for the year to continue their education for another session. Additionally, the department urges institutions to award funds for the coming summer session out of the 2017-18 award year, unless the student has funding eligibility remaining from the current award year. The full implementation guidance letter is available here.

New Federal Funding Opportunities

Two new funding opportunities have been announced recently that could benefit CTE programs and institutions!

High School Career and Technical Education Teacher Pathway Initiative
Last week, the Department of Education released a federal register notice outlining requirements for a new competitive grant to help increase the supply of high school CTE teachers available to teach students in CTE programs that align to In-Demand Industry Sectors or Occupations in States and communities where shortages of such teachers exist. Approximately 5-7 grants, ranging from $350,000 to $900,000 over a 3-year period will be awarded. Eligible applicants include:

• a State board designated or created consistent with State law as the sole State agency responsible for the administration of CTE in the State or for the supervision of the administration of CTE in the State
• an LEA (including a public charter school that operates as an LEA), an area CTE school, an educational service agency, or a consortium of such entities, in each case, that receives assistance under section 131 of the Perkins Act
• an Eligible Institution that receives assistance under section 132 of the Perkins Act Applications are due on July 28, with a notice of intent to apply due on July 13. You can attend a pre-application webinar on Thursday, June 22, 2017, at 2 pm Eastern at http://cte.ed.gov/cal/high-school-cte-pre-application-webinar.  

Advanced Technological Education (ATE)
The National Science Foundation has announced that $59,000,000 is available to award 45-75 grants under the Advanced Technological Education program, as either standard grants or continuing grants. This program focuses “on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy. The program involves partnerships between academic institutions and industry to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels.” Applications are due October 5, 2017.

President Signs Executive Order Promoting Apprenticeships

After focusing on workforce development in several events during the week, on June 15, President Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Expanding Apprenticeships in America.” According to the National Archives, “Executive orders are official documents, numbered consecutively, through which the President of the United States manages the operations of the Federal Government.” They are not new laws – but rather instructions for federal agencies as to how to work within already established laws and use their resources.

The goals of this particular Executive Order are to “provide more affordable pathways to secure, high paying jobs by promoting apprenticeships and effective workforce development programs, while easing the regulatory burden on such programs and reducing or eliminating taxpayer support for ineffective workforce development programs.” It includes a number of directives:

• Establishing Industry-Recognized Apprenticeships – Directs the Secretary of Labor to consider proposing regulations to promote the development of apprenticeships by third-parties, including trade and industry groups, companies, non-profit organizations, unions and joint labor-management organizations. These programs could be considered for expedited and streamlined recognition under the Registered Apprenticeship program.
• Funding to Promote Apprenticeships – Directs the Secretary of Labor to use already available funds to promote apprenticeships, with references to expanding apprenticeship sectors, expanding youth apprenticeships, and expanding access for students enrolled in educational institutions. Earlier reports this week indicated funding might be redirected from the H-1B visa program.
• Expanding Access to Apprenticeships – Directs the Secretaries of Labor, Education, Commerce and Defense, and the Attorney General, to promote apprenticeships to specific populations and business leaders.
• Promoting Apprenticeship Programs at Colleges and Universities – Directs the Secretary of Education to support two- and four-year postsecondary educational institutions in their efforts to incorporate apprenticeships into their programs.
• Establishment of the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion – Directs the Department of Labor to establish a task force to “identify strategies and proposals to promote apprenticeships, especially in sectors where apprenticeship programs are insufficient.”
• Excellence in Apprenticeships – Directs the Secretary of Labor to solicit examples of commendable apprenticeship efforts in order to recognize those programs.
• Improving the Effectiveness of Workforce Development Programs – Directs each federal agency to identify programs under its jurisdiction that promote “skills development and workforce readiness” and submit the list, as well as evaluations of such programs and recommendations for improvements or elimination to OMB with the agencies FY 19 budget request. We expect that Perkins would be included on this list.

Earlier in the week at an event in Wisconsin, the President also expressed support for strengthening apprenticeship and work-based learning opportunities in high schools, however there appears to be little in the executive order that would actually impact high school students, and it is unclear at this point what specific activities would be undertaken generally by the Department of Education to strengthen links between apprenticeships and educational institutions. We will provide additional information as more details are released. 

While a greater awareness around the tremendous value workforce development programs, including apprenticeships, bring to students, employers and the American economy, is a positive step, the Trump administration’s "workforce development week" is undercut and overshadowed by the massive cuts the president proposes in his FY18 budget to existing, successful workforce development programs, including Perkins. The President proposed a 15% cut to Perkins, and a 40% cut to Department of Labor WIOA programs in that budget, making it difficult for states and communities to provide the training necessary to address the skills gap this Executive Order is targeting.

Trump Budget Falls Short on Workforce Training

We have reported on how President Donald Trump’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget plan would be detrimental to education—cutting the Perkins Basic State Grant by $168 million, while significantly reducing or eliminating funding for after-school programs, teacher education partnership grants, student financial aid, and educator training and professional development. But as the Administration prepares for a week dedicated to promoting workforce development issues, it’s important to note that the president’s budget plan would also drastically reduce support for federal job training programs.

Overall, the Trump budget calls for a $2.5 billion (21 percent) cut to the U.S. Department of Labor. The president seeks to slash funding for the three state formula grants under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) by 40 percent, specifically cutting WIOA adult funding by $325 million, dislocated worker state grants by $465 million and youth grants by $350 million. These state grants form the backbone of the nation’s workforce training system and support access to postsecondary CTE for many job seekers. Additionally, Adult Education state grants (included in the Department of Education’s budget) under Title II of WIOA, and Title III Wagner-Peyser Employment Services state grants would be cut by $96 million and $256 million respectively. Job Corps, YouthBuild, Native Americans Programs, employment and training services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and the Senior Community Service Employment Program would all be cut or eliminated under the president’s budget.

The disconnect between the Administration’s statements in support of job training and the deep cuts to workforce programs in the FY 2018 budget request was on display when Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta appeared before the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee last week. In his prepared remarks, Sec. Acosta emphasized the value of apprenticeships. “High quality apprenticeships enable employers to be involved in the training of their future workforce so they can be sure new hires possess the skills needed to do the job,” said Acosta. However, the budget proposal would cut the apprenticeship grant program, currently operated as the ApprenticeshipUSA initiative, by $5 million. Members of the subcommittee denounced the cuts to job training in the budget. Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) rebutted Sec. Acosta’s assertion that the budget would “do more with less” to support employment and training services. “You can’t do more with less,” argued Rep. DeLauro, “you can only do less with less.” Please take a few minutes to let your Members of Congress know about the importance of investing in education and workforce development by increasing funding for Perkins.

Recent Federal Focus on Higher Education Data

Data and transparency have been a key focus of policymakers in recent weeks as there have been several efforts around these topics and the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA). 

First, bi-partisan groups of Members of Congress in the House and Senate introduced the College Transparency Act of 2017. In the Senate, S. 1121 was introduced on May 15 by Sens. Hatch (R-UT), Warren (D-MA), Cassidy (R-LA), and Whitehouse (D-RI). In the House, companion legislation, H.R. 2434, was introduced on May 16 by Representatives Mitchell (R-MI), Polis (D-CO), Garrett (R-VA), Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Stivers (R-OH), Panetta (D-CA), and Dunn (R-FL), which additional co-sponsors since that time. The bill would establish a new postsecondary student data system at the National Center for Education Statistics, and overturn the ban on a federal student record data system. According to the bill’s Fact Sheet, the bill would increase data access by:

• Ensuring accurate and complete reporting on student outcomes including enrollment, retention, completion, and post-collegiate outcomes across colleges and majors
• Taking appropriate steps to ensure student privacy is protected, and data remains secure
• Strengthening transparency, institutional improvement, and analysis of Federal student aid programs
• Providing actionable and customizable information for students and families making important decisions about higher education
• Modernizing the reporting system and ultimately reducing the reporting burden on institutions of higher education

ACTE signed onto a letter in support of the bill as it reflects many of our priorities around data we hope to see included in HEA reauthorization.

The following week, the House Education and the Workforce Committee held a hearing on data collection and reporting in higher education, with many tenets of this legislation discussed. Key themes of the hearing included ensuring students and families have access to more complete and accurate information to make decisions on postsecondary education, ensuring accountability for taxpayer dollars, and how to keep data private and secure. Transparency around student outcomes, including education and employment outcomes across programs, was also highlighted during the hearing, and as has been the case in many Hill events lately, members and witnesses alike mentioned the value of CTE. Unfortunately, there was not universal support for a federal data system, with the privacy and security concerns still outweighing the benefits in the opinion of some Members of Congress (and at least one witness).

DeVos Takes Fire for CTE Cuts in Budget Hearing

Today, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos again appeared on Capitol Hill to defend President Trump’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget request for education—this time before the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. As we reported, the budget proposes drastic cuts in federal support for education, including a $168 million cut to the Perkins Basic State Grant. As Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) noted at the outset of the hearing, the deep cuts have made this a difficult budget request for DeVos to defend, and it was unlikely that Congress would adopt the president’s funding proposals.

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) specifically highlighted the cut to Perkins as “troubling,” particularly given the Administration’s continued assertions of support for CTE. Shelby noted that Perkins Basic State Grant program, “provides resources to sates and local institutions so they can determine how career and technical education programs best fit their communities, their workforce and their needs.” The condemnation for the president’s proposed cut to CTE was bipartisan. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), who both singed a letter in support of increased funding for Perkins, also mentioned the cut during their remarks.

The president’s budget proposes to put an additional $20 million in the Perkins National Programs to establish a new grant that would support only certain CTE programs in STEM fields that are able to compete for funds. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), co-chair of the Senate CTE Caucus, noted that a 15 percent cut to the Perkins Basic State Grant and the proposal to eliminate funding for the Title IV grants under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), both of which can be used to support CTE and STEM-related education initiatives, would hardly be offset by $20 million in funding for a competitive grant that would only benefit a few programs. In fact, the department’s own estimates indicate that only five secondary/postsecondary consortia would receive funding under the STEM grant proposal.   

ACTE has strongly rejected the president’s budget, and will work with Congress to ensure strong funding for CTE. Please take a few minutes to let your Members of Congress know about the importance of investing in CTE through Perkins.