CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

House Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Department of Labor Fiscal Year 2022 Budget

On April 28, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh testified at a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education hearing focused on the Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Budget Request for the Department of Labor. Workforce Development and job training programs were a large topic of discussion given the backdrop of the jobs crisis caused by the pandemic. This issue generally received bipartisan support, while other Administration priorities, like the PRO Act and unemployment insurance, did not. When discussing this support, in his opening statement Ranking Member Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) stated, “I think there's a strong bipartisan commitment (for job training) in this subcommittee. We see it not only in this budget, but the education budget on everything from Job Corps to, again, the apprenticeship program to career tech kinds of programs where we managed to work together.”

In the first part of his testimony, Secretary Walsh highlighted the importance of the American Rescue Plan, and the benefits it delivered to individuals and families, including extending unemployment benefits, subsidizing COBRA premiums and “additional funding for the Department to help keep vulnerable workers healthy and safe.” Next, Walsh went into need for Congress to work with the Administration on passing the American Jobs Plan. He then goes into detail on the proposed benefits of the plan, including funding for sector-based training programs focused on growing, high-demand sectors, such as clean energy, manufacturing and caregiving, and helping workers of all kinds to find good-quality jobs in an ever-changing economy. Finally, he discusses the Department’s proposed budget, which he said focuses on “investments in workers and in our country’s future: a future of opportunity and shared prosperity, a future of robust job growth and a thriving middle class, a future where workers nationwide get the skills and training that leads to jobs that pay a fair wage without 5 risking their health or safety.” Specifically, he discusses the 14% increase the Administration is seeking for the Department overall. Some of the programs that received increases that he highlighted in his testimony include a 6% increase for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and Wagner Peyser state formula grants; 54% increase for registered apprenticeships; 17% increase for worker protection agencies; and an additional $100 million for the multi-agency POWER+ Initiative aimed at reskilling and reemploying displaced workers in Appalachian communities.

During the questioning part of the hearing, Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) discussed the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grant Program, and asked Sec. Walsh “How will the Department of Labor leverage this program, bring it to scale to address the economic effects of the pandemic to support community colleges, dislocated workers, and their families?” He replied, “That question is key to the success in the rebound of America right now. I think we have to work closely with community colleges.” He went on to further emphasize  “more collaboration with community colleges because community colleges often times are--are the industry in small communities all across America so what we are going to do is the Department of Labor is working on these programs that--that has been approved by Congress and we are going to continue to strengthen those programs and I think there's a tie-in as well with workforce development and community colleges even a closer relationship that we can train and help re---retrain more--more workers in our workforce and kids--young people that go to college and older people quite honestly.”

Another important line of questioning came from Chairwoman DeLauro toward the end of the hearing when she asked Sec. Walsh about Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). Specifically, she asked what steps the Department will take to rescind the authority for the IRAP rule and how he will ensure that federal funding is not used for this purpose. He responded, “the president did issue an executive order asking the department to consider taking steps to rescind the regulations. Our review is currently ongoing right now. I want to reiterate the commitment I made during my confirmation process that we will ensure that every voice of the industries are heard and to that end my rulemaking--the rulemaking that we do with regards to IRAP will be transparent and go through a public notice and comment so we are working through that process now.”

Other topics brought up during the member portion of the hearing include structural racism within federal contracting, H2-B Visas, unemployment benefits, minimum wage, Keystone pipeline, OHSA, women in the workforce, among others, dislocated workers grants, and the PRO Act.

To learn more about the president’s proposed budget, and the Department of Labor section more specifically, please click here. Please continue to check the CTE Policy Watch Blog as more details are revealed about the president’s FY 2022 budget request.

White House “American Families Plan” Includes Potential Education Resources

On Wednesday, the Biden Administration released an overview of its $1.8 trillion “American Families Plan.” In general, the proposal includes $1 trillion in new spending and $800 billion in tax credits, much of which is aimed at expanding access to education and childcare. The package includes proposals for two years of universal prekindergarten, paid family and medical leave, free community college, increased teacher pipeline and preparation funding, several proposals to make childcare more affordable, expanded subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, unemployment insurance reform, an extension of new federal efforts to fight poverty, and other lofty proposals. The White House believes the proposal will be fully paid for over 15 years, with a large portion of it coming from tax increases to large corporations and America’s wealthiest individuals.

In terms of education-specific funding, it suggests $109 billion to ensure “that first-time students and workers wanting to reskill can enroll in a community college to earn a degree or credential for free.” It also stipulates that a student can use the benefit over a three-year period, with a potential fourth year, depending on the individual circumstances. If all states decide to participate, the program, which would be a federal-state partnership, could benefit more than 5.5 million students who would pay $0 in tuition and fees. It is unclear exactly which programs and/or institutions will be included under the proposal, given the vagueness of the description. Previous similar proposals have included a broad range of sub-baccalaureate credentials and institutions. ACTE will continue to monitor the development of this proposal and will provide updates on any changes.

Another important provision of the plan would invest $85 billion in Pell grants, increasing the maximum Pell grant award by roughly $1,400, or 20 percent. Currently, students can receive up to $6,495 for the 2021-22 school year. Although this falls short of the President’s commitment to doubling Pell, the Administration contends that it is a “down payment” on the commitment. The plan also allows DREAMers to access Pell Grants.

Additionally, the proposal calls on Congress to make significant investments to address teacher shortages by strengthening of the teacher pipeline. Specifically, it would double scholarships for future teachers from $4,000 to $8,000 per year; invest $2.8 billion in Grow Your Own programs and year-long, paid teacher residency programs; provide $400 million for teacher preparation at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; invest $2 billion to support high-quality mentorship and leadership programs for new teachers and teachers of color; and provide $900 million for the development of special education teachers. Further, the plan calls on Congress to “invest $1.6 billion to provide educators with opportunities to obtain additional certifications in high-demand areas like special education, bilingual education, and certifications that improve teacher performance.” It is unclear at this time if the high-demand areas provision includes CTE educators, or how they could be served by other pieces of the proposal since few details have been provided. ACTE will continue advocate for CTE teachers to be included in these initiatives as the plan is considered by Congress.

Other education-related provisions include $39 billion to provide two years of subsidized tuition for students enrolled at four-year historically Black colleges and universities or other minority-serving institutions and whose family earns less than $125,000; $62 billion to invest in completion and retention activities at colleges and universities that serve high numbers of low-income students, particularly community colleges; and $200 billion for a federal-state partnership to provide universal prekindergarten for all three- and four-year-old’s.

Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on COVID-19 Recovery

On April 20, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing entitled “COVID-19 Recovery: Supporting Workers and Modernizing the Workforce Through Quality Education, Training, and Employment Opportunities.” The witnesses for the hearing included Maria Flynn, president and CEO of Jobs For the Future; Deniece Thomas, deputy commissioner of workforce learning and development in the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development; Scott Ralls, president of Wake Technical Community College; and Alejandro Mendoza, human resources director at Optimax Systems Inc.

In general, the hearing covered a broad range of issues facing workforce programs in light of the jobs crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, both parties agreed on the need for bipartisan proposals to provide increased funding and attention to our nation’s workforce programs.

Setting the stage for the need for renewed investments in our workforce system, Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) in her opening statement said “our nation is in the middle of the most unequal jobs crisis in modern history. Millions of people have lost jobs they relied on to put food on the table, keep a roof over their heads, pay their bills, and afford a postsecondary education. And some estimates suggest, at least, a third of COVID-related job-loss will be permanent.” Ranking Member Richard Burr also echoed similar sentiments by comparing the job situation now to what it was only one year ago. Specifically, he said that “before the pandemic, our economy was booming. Jobs were available and unemployment was at a 50-year low. Today, a year later, nearly 10 million people are out of work. Unemployment is at 6 percent and some suggest, 9 percent.”

With these statements largely setting the stage, the witnesses and Committee members spent the hearing talking about the need to expand skills-based education and training opportunities, like finding ways to expand access to apprenticeships; providing better support and wraparound services to ensure program completion and success; preparing workers for the STEM workforce; reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); and extending Pell Grant eligibility to students who attend high-quality short-term programs at community colleges and public institutions, among others.

More specifically to the last point, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), who co-chairs the Senate CTE Caucus, discussed how community and technical colleges in Virginia and all across the country are at the forefront of offering high-quality short-term programs that provide not only post-secondary pathways, but also, immediate job skills to get individuals back into the workforce quickly. He went on to ask Dr. Ralls, “how do you think expanding Pell Grant eligibility to students for enrollment in high-quality short-term programs might open doors, both for first time college students, but also, for adult students with families who have faced hardships in this most challenging time?” Rails answered, “I very much endorsed that proposal and making Pell eligible for quality short-term credentials because so many students, nontraditional workers and people in the workforce, they need those short-term credentials to get the skills to get a job. And a lot of times they need those jobs to get the further higher education they need to further their career. So, to me it's not as much in either, or as it's made out to be. It's really an ‘and.’ And we need to work more diligently to make it an ‘and.’ And I think you can make it more ‘and’ by providing Pell for short-term credentials.” This same sentiment was shared by multiple witnesses and members of the committee. ACTE strongly supports the JOBS Act, which would expand Pell eligibility to short-term, high-quality job training programs, and is actively engaging Congress on its passage.

House Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Increasing Investments in Community Colleges

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.

Research Round-up

COVID-19's Impact on FAFSA Filings: A new report details survey findings about COVID-19 impacting FAFSA filings. Researchers found that the pandemic has further exacerbated many of the challenges students face when filing for the FAFSA, especially first-generation students and low-income students. Key findings from the report include: 

• Students, especially low-income and first-generation students, do not understand the FAFSA and mistakenly think they will not qualify for aid and therefore do not file. 
• When filing, low-income and first-generation students face greater challenges because they are often filing alone or with little help. 
• Student supports, such as counselors, teachers and employers, are harder to access due to the pandemic. 
• Students with the greatest needs often have the least support to file the FAFSA in the current environment. 

Understanding Student Experiences with Technology: In the fall of 2020, studies were performed to better understand students’ experiences with technology during COVID-19. The researchers found that over a third of students had difficulties finding internet connection to meet academic needs, and rural students struggled with this more than those in suburbs and cities. Also, almost half of students reported they were limited where they could access internet, with the primary location being a place of residence, and only 23 percent were able to use a public space on campus. 

Measuring the Economic Impact of Higher Education: Third Way released a report which describes a new Price-to-Earnings Premium approach to measure the economic value of higher education. This method was applied to bachelor’s-degree-granting institutions, associate-degree-granting institutions and certificate-granting institutions to assess the return on investments. The authors say that this helps students and families make informed decisions on choosing a pathway, and allows them to assess whether the value of their investment in an institution is worth the cost. 

Understanding the Impact of Transitioning to Online Learning: A blog from New America reported results of a survey of current, former and prospective community college students to understand the impact of transitioning to an online learning format. Key findings were: 

• The majority of students had doubts about the quality of online classes. 
• Most prefer to have a mix of both online and in-person classes. 
• Students with previous experience in online classes felt more positive about the transition. 
• For most students, there is a financial burden to maintaining internet access at home. 

Declining Enrollment in Dual Enrollment Programs: During the pandemic, fewer students were in enrolled in dual enrollment courses, according to a study from The Hechinger Report. The researchers suggest that this decline could mean that fewer students go into higher education because dual enrollment offers a free or reduced cost to earning college credit. The success rate in dual enrollment courses has also dropped due students struggling with increased remote learning. Both the enrollment and success rate has disproportionately affected Black and Latino students compared to their white counterparts. 

Making Dual Enrollment Programs More Equitable: Dual enrollment programs are rooted in a multitude of inequities and need to be rethought in order to expand postsecondary education to underserved students, according to a report from the Community College Research Center. The authors argue that the burden is largely placed on the student to reach out and set up dual enrollment opportunities instead of institutions actively reaching out to communities of color and underserved high schools to provide these opportunities. To overcome these obstacles, the researchers recommend that community colleges should:  

• Build partnerships with K-12 districts and schools. 
• Invest in coordination with schools. 
• Provide student advising and wraparound supports. 
• Provide program planning assistance for dual enrollment students. 

 

DC Digest: April 19-25

The House and Senate were in session last week, and there was a lot of activity in DC. Conversations and activity continued on COVID-19 relief and recovery, and on the Administration’s proposed infrastructure package. On Thursday, Senate Republicans revealed their $568 billion counterproposal to the White House’s $2.2 trillion infrastructure proposal, and the White House indicated its plan for ongoing talks. In other new, Senate Republicans voted to keep their symbolic ban on earmarks instead of following in the footsteps of House Democrats and Republicans and Senate Democrats. However, the top leaders of the caucus acknowledged that the ban was not enforceable and Senators will be able to request and get earmarks if they desire. Here are some other notes from last week: 

• NCDA Recognizes CTE Caucus Co-Chairs: The National Career Development Association (NCDA) held a press briefing on Wednesday featuring their NCDA 2020 Legislative Award winners, Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glen Thompson (R-PA), who also serve as co-chairs of the House CTE Caucus. During Langevin and Thompson’s remarks, they stressed the need for career counseling to ensure students are informed about the multiple pathways that are available to them. The press briefing also featured a panel discussion where experts spoke on topics of career development and career services.  
   
• Department of Education Releases a New State Plan Template for COVID-19 Relief Funds: The Department of Education released a new state plan template for states to submit in order to receive the remainder of their American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. The template outlines that state plans must indicate how the state will ensure transparency in planning, identify needs of its most impacted students, choose evidence-based interventions, and prioritize educational equity, inclusive stakeholder engagement and strong fiscal safeguards.   
   
• Department of Education Allocates Funds to Support Homeless Students: The Department of Education announced plans to distribute $800 million from the American Rescue Plan to support students who are facing homelessness. On Friday, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, joined by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Joe Manchin (D-VA), also led a roundtable discussion with students who have experienced homelessness to understand how to best serve the students’ needs with the funds. 
   
• Department of Labor Introduces a New Online Dialogue Platform: The Department of Labor created a national online dialogue platform, Empowering Teens in the Workforce, as an effort to learn how they can better reach teenagers with information on various aspects of work-related issues, such as jobs teens can and cannot do, workday hours, pay requirements, and other questions and concerns teens may have. The public is invited to participate in these conversations—submit ideas, comment or vote on ideas submitted by others—through April 30.  

• HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Strengthening the Nation’s Workforce Programs: On Tuesday, the Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pensions (HELP) committee held a hearing on COVID-19 Recovery: Supporting Workers and Modernizing the Workforce Through Quality Education, Training, and Employment Opportunities. During Chair Patty Murray’s (D-WA) opening remarks, she stated that workers need to have access to pathways that lead to good jobs. She stressed the need for life-long learning and for investments into workforce programs to provide the training, skills and opportunities to succeed.  
   
• House Holds Hearings on Increasing Investments in Community Colleges and Member Interests: Also on Tuesday, the House Committee on Appropriations held a hearing on Building Capacity, Building Community: Increasing Investments in Community Colleges. Chair Rosa DeLauro’s (D-CT) opening remarks emphasized the important role that community colleges play in making postsecondary pathways more affordable and accessible. DeLauro also stated that the federal government needs to increase funding and understand where the greatest needs are and provide support to both the institutions and students. Later in the week, the House Education and Labor Committee held a “Member Day” Hearing where CTE and workforce pathways also came up.  
   
• HELP Committee Advances Nominations for Education and Labor Appointees: On April 21, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held an executive session to advance three nominations for positions within the Departments of Education and Labor. All three nominations, which included Julie Su to serve as the of Deputy Secretary of Labor; Cynthia Marten to serve as the Deputy Secretary of Education; and James Kvaal to serve as the Under Secretary of Education, were voted favorably out of committee in a bipartisan fashion to advance to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. There has been no date set for this final vote. 
   
• Congress Increases Focus on WIOA Reauthorization: On April 21, House Education and Labor Committee Leaders Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Virginia Foxx (R-NC) announced plans to begin bipartisan efforts to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The Senate is also working to gather information on WIOA priorities, so this bill could see activity later this year.  
   
• Administration Leaders Visit Illinois Community College: On April 19, First Lady Jill Biden and Education Secretary Cardona visited Sauk Valley Community College to tour programs and made comments emphasizing the importance of community colleges to the nation’s economy.  
   
• Department of Labor Announces Virtual Job Corps Enrollment: Students can now enroll virtually in the first 60 days of the Job Corp program to complete their “Career Preparation Period” of training online, then enroll in a Job Corps Center. More information is available here.  

House Education Committee Holds “Member Day” Hearing to Discuss Policy Priorities

On April 22, the House Education and Labor Committee held a “Member’s Day” hearing. The purpose of this hearing was to allow Members of Congress to discuss their policy priorities around “improving our education system, supporting workers, making health care more affordable, and strengthening our economy.”

Though only two members, Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Mary Scanlon (D-PA), provided testimony, both included CTE and apprenticeships as priorities the committee should focus on this Congress. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), who co-chairs the House CTE Caucus, spoke about how CTE is the “workforce pipeline of the future” and that it is critical “we continue to fund and strengthen CTE and similar workforce development programs.” In her remarks, Rep. Scanlon (D-PA) highlighted the need to support and invest in “alternative pathways to four-year degrees, such as apprenticeships,” and cited the need to connect workers with opportunities to access critical skills and high-paying jobs as we work to rebuild our economy.

DC Digest: April 12-18

The House and Senate were back in session last week after a two-week long break and the focus was primarily on the infrastructure bill proposal. President Biden hosted a bipartisan group of lawmakers to discuss the proposal last Monday, but both sides of the aisle are very far apart on the price tag of the $2.25 trillion package. The timeline of the bill is uncertain, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hoping to complete work in the House by July.  Here are a few other notes from last week: 

• HELP Committee Holds Hearing on the Nomination of James Kvaal: On April 15, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on the nomination of James Kvaal to serve as undersecretary of education. During the hearing, Sen. Kaine (D-VA) asked Kvaal about his support for expanding Pell Grant eligibility to short-term job training programs. You can read a full recap of the hearing in this blog post. 
    
• Kaine, Portman Reintroduce Builds Act: The Building U.S. Infrastructure by Leveraging Demands for Skills (BUILDS) Act, a major infrastructure priority of ACTE’s, was reintroduced in the House and Senate. This bill promotes sector partnerships made up of local businesses and industry organizations, workforce boards, labor representatives, and education and training providers to support workforce training programs in infrastructure-related jobs. The BUILDS Act is supported by Advance CTE, ACTE, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Skills Coalition, Jobs for the Future, the National Taskforce on Tradeswomen’s Issues, and the National League of Cities. View the press release here. 
   
• CDC Launches the Higher Education COVID-19 Community of Practice: The CDC awarded the American College Health Association $450,000 to launch a new Higher Education COVID-19 Community of Practice to share campus-wide information about mitigation strategies for COVID-19. The initiative provides several resources for postsecondary campuses to use, such as an online repository of resources including a discussion board, a twice-monthly webinar series, a planning toolkit for campuses interested in creating a public health ambassador program, and an online database for colleges to upload information about their campus practices. 
   
• National Groups Support President Biden’s Education Investment: On behalf of 100 education organizations, including ACTE, the Community for Education Funding sent a letter to Members of Congress urging them to support the increase in education investments in President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 discretionary request . The President’s proposal includes $102.8 billion for the Department of Education, a $29.8 billion or 41% increase over the 2021 enacted level.

• White House Announces its Intent to Nominate Gwen Graham to the Department of Education: The White House announced its intent to nominate Gwen Graham as the Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education. Graham has served as a public service leader in Florida’s local public schools and was a Member of Congress. She also practiced law with a focus on public education earlier in her career. Read Education Secretary Cardona’s statement on her nomination.

Senate HELP Holds Under Secretary Nomination Hearing for James Kvaal

Last week, President Biden’s nominee for under secretary of education, James Kvaal, appeared in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee for his nomination hearing. Kvaal, who previously served as deputy under secretary of education under the Obama Administration and more recently the president of the Institute for College Access and Success, seemed to satisfy questioning from Members of Congress in both parties and is likely to advance to the full Senate when the committee votes later this week.

Although his confirmation seems likely, Kvaal still faced tough questioning from Senators on both sides of the aisle on issues ranging from the president’s agenda around free college and student loan forgiveness, to his previous opposition of expanding Pell grant eligibility to high-quality short-term job training programs. More specifically, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) started off his questioning by asking Kvaal if he believed that high-quality short-term workforce training is higher education, to which he simply replied, “I do.” This has long been a point of contention with many in the higher education community, with some believing that these programs should be considered workforce development and not education. Kvaal went on to further state, “I agree that career and technical education programs can lead to really meaningful career job opportunities. They deserve the same amount of support and the same amount of respect that other types of higher education programs do. And, if I'm confirmed, I'm confident we can work together to support high-quality training programs, including those that are shorter than 15 weeks.” Sens. Mike Braun (R-IN), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jim Hickenlooper (D-CO) also voiced their support for CTE, apprenticeships and STEM during their five-minute remarks.

Other important issues to ACTE, and CTE more generally, that arose during the hearing include the reintroduction of the College Transparency Act, competency-based education, career pathways and ways higher education will play a role in the country’s economic recovery.

It is important to note that the under secretary of education is responsible for the coordination of policies, programs and activities related to postsecondary education, career and technical education, adult education, federal student aid, and the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Given the lack of professional experience in the higher education space among other top Department of Education officials, including Secretary Cardona and Deputy Secretary Nominee Cindy Marten, Kvaal’s extensive experience will make him even more foundational in the Administration’s higher education agenda.

Currently, a Committee vote on his and Cindy Marten’s nominations is scheduled for April 21, and then they will move to the full Senate, where their confirmations require a simple majority vote. Be sure to continue to check the CTE Policy Watch Blog for the details and latest developments.

ACTION ALERT – Ask Your Rep. to Support Perkins Funding in FY22!

Every year ahead of the annual appropriations process, House CTE Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Jim Langevin (D-RI) and G.T. Thompson (R-PA) circulate a sign-on letter to the Appropriations Committee requesting robust funding for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) in that year's Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. Committee members view these sign-on letters as a critical part of the process because they show the breadth of support a specific issue has, making this letter's success critical.

Ask your Representative to sign onto the letter and show support for Perkins CTE in FY22.

After years of declining federal support for CTE, the past few budgets have included modest increases for the Perkins Basic State Grant program. Your advocacy these past few years has been critical to securing increases in Perkins funding, and so we need your help again to keep the momentum going!

We need to continue to raise awareness with policymakers to ensure they understand the many benefits associated with high-quality CTE programs. Your advocacy makes a difference and encourages policymakers to take action, so please contact your representative today! Additionally, if you have met with a staff member during NPS or at another time and have a direct contact, feel free to call or email directly rather than using the action center. The deadline for Members of Congress to sign onto the letter is Friday, April 23.