On April 20, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies held a hearing on increasing investments in Community Colleges. The witnesses for the hearing included Dr. Walter Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges; Dr. Mary Alice McCarthy, director, Center on Education and Labor from New America; Dr. William T. Brown, the chief executive officer of Gateway Community College; and Kelli Jordan, Director, IBM Career Skills and Performance.
The hearing covered a broad range of issues facing community colleges and their students, such as childcare, broadband access, equity, dual enrollment, college transfers and job training, including apprenticeships. Much of the conversation addressed how community colleges can help in post-Covid economic and workforce development, with both sides generally agreeing that more investments are necessary.
In her opening statement, Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) affirmed that “we need to invest in these institutions, build the architecture of the future at the federal, as well as local levels. Our community colleges are the backbone of our education system. It is crucial that we provide them with--and their students--with the funding and the resources needed to build a brighter and a more prosperous future for all Americans.” Likewise, in his opening statement, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), who was filling in for Ranking Member Tom Cole (R-OK), stated that “community colleges have proven they can adapt to a changing environment meeting students where they are, working with local businesses to develop programs that lead to good paying, sustainable jobs,” when discussing their importance in our nation's economic recovery.
More specifically, the economic and workforce development programs discussed included the Strengthening Community College Training Grant (SCCTG) program; expanding apprenticeship and work-based learning programs, and expanding Pell eligibility to high-quality short-term job training programs. When discussing the SCCTG program, which is modeled after the now-expired Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program, Walter Bumphus asserted that “the program can both revitalize the economy in the short-term and help provide longer-term training capacity.” The program, which was created by Congress in 2020, currently faces high demand for its limited resources. Funded at $45 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, the Department of Labor received about 150 applications but were only able to fund 11 of them. Several witnesses called on the subcommittee to increase funding for this program in FY 2022.
When discussing apprenticeships, both panelists and members of the Committee expressed their support and the economic value they provide. In her testimony, Kelli Jordan, Director, IBM Career Skills and Performance, stated that “funding for apprenticeships is shockingly low for a pathway that can be an economic game changer for both students and midcareer professionals. Funding for U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeships should be increased, and community colleges should play a central role in these programs, nationwide.”
Bumphus also emphasized the American Association of Community Colleges position on short-term Pell grants, saying that many community college leaders express to him that expanding Pell grant eligibility to high-quality short-term job training programs would greatly help them serve students, especially underemployed and unemployed workers, who are eager to return to work. ACTE also strongly supports the expansion of Pell eligibility to high-quality short-term job training programs and is actively engaging Congress on the matter.
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