CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

DC Digest: September 10-16

• Appropriations Bill Markup Postponed: On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee postponed its scheduled markup of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Labor-H appropriations bill. The postponement was due to a disagreement between both parties around a healthcare-related provision. There has been no announcement of a new date for the markup. With the FY 2019 fiscal year ending September 30, Congress must act on new appropriations bills quickly or pass a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown. We will keep you apprised of new developments, and we encourage you to contact your senators and voice your support for an increase in Perkins CTE funding in FY2020!
• Report on Equity and Diversity in Apprenticeships: As apprenticeships become an increasingly popular subject in Washington, Jobs for the Future released a report on “Growing Equity and Diversity Through Apprenticeships: Business Perspectives”. Included in the report are strategies from leading companies about how to advance equity in their companies and apprenticeship models.
• 2019 State of the Workforce Report Released: The National Association of State Workforce Agencies published its first 2019 State of the Workforce Report, which highlighted each state’s labor market data and profile, and drew attention to exemplary programs states use to help their workforces.

DC Digest: September 4-9

New Video on Coordination Between Perkins and WIOA: The Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) recently released a new video on joint Perkins Act and Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA) plans. The video has been added to OCTAE’s online video library. This brief video explains the history between Perkins and WIOA, and gives examples of states who are building these joint plans.

New Perkins V Guidance on Program Income: According to a memo released on Friday by Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education Scott Stump, the Department of Education will continue providing prior authority for eligible recipients or subrecipients under the newly-authorized Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21^st Century Act (Perkins V) to use the addition and/or cost sharing or matching options for program income pursuant to 2 CFR 200.307(e) of the Uniform Guidance. This updated guidance will ensure programs that earn income from school-based enterprises can continue to do so without losing Perkins funds as long as they follow the guidelines included.

Rep.  Susan Davis Announces Retirement: On Wednesday, Rep. Davis, who chairs the subcommittee overseeing higher education for the House Education and Labor Committee, announced she will not be seeking reelection. As chair of this subcommittee,  she oversees reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, so may push for action before her term in office ends.

Administration Releases FY 2021 Research and Development Priorities: The Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy recently sent a memo to all federal agencies outlining the Administration’s FY 2021 research and development budget priorities. “Build and Leverage a Diverse, Highly Skilled American Workforce” is one of the cross-cutting priority actions identified in the memo, which states: “Departments and agencies should prioritize efforts to build strong foundations for STEM literacy, to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM, and to prepare the STEM workforce, including college-educated STEM workers and those working in skilled trades that do not require a four-year degree.”
Agencies will reference these priorities as they invest discretionary research and development funds throughout the next year, and the ideas will likely impact overall budget development for FY 2021 as well.

DC Digest: August 26-September 3

The DC Digest is a new, weekly policy blog that provides more coverage of the news and activities related to federal CTE policy. Since we cannot post a lengthy blog on every policy item that could impact CTE, this blog allows us to post additional relevant material that might be of interest, in concurrence with our other in-depth blog posts on the most important issues in CTE.

• Secretary DeVos Observes CTE Programs in Alaska: Secretary DeVos traveled to Alaska last week, where she made several different stops to local CTE programs and hosted a roundtable in order to learn more about the career and college readiness initiatives being led by education and business leaders in the state. More coverage is available here, here, here and here.
  
  
• Department of Education Issues Final Borrower-Defense Regulations: On Friday, the Department of Education issued final regulations to “raise the bar” for student loan forgiveness for borrowers who claim they have been defrauded by postsecondary institutions.
  
  
• OCTAE Rescinding Perkins IV Questions and Answers: In a continued effort to streamline regulatory volume and as the transition to Perkins V is well underway, the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education announced last week that they are rescinding the “Q&A” documents that helped to guide Perkins IV implementation. These documents are no longer relevant to the new law.
  
  
• Input Floods in on DOL Proposal for Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs: Comments on the Department of Labor’s proposed rule to establish Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs were due on August 26, and over 300,000 were received. Policymakers in particular were outspoken about the new proposal. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Republican Chair of the Education and Labor Committee, along with 19 other Republican members, sent a letter expressing support for the initiative but asking that it be expanded to allow the construction industry to participate. Forty-three Senate Democrats sent their own letter in which they oppose the creation of the new program and request an extension to the public comment period. These policymakers are concerned about the impact of a parallel apprenticeship program on workplace safety, wages and training quality.
  
  
• Chiefs for Change Advocacy Agenda Includes CTE: At their recent annual meeting, members of Chiefs for Change discussed its advocacy agenda for the year, which includes a focus on “new and better postsecondary pathways for all students” including CTE.