CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

DC Digest: May 27-June 2

This week in Washington, Congress was focused on final negotiations to complete a deal to raise the federal debt limit before a potential government default. The final bill passed the House on May 31 and the Senate on June 1. After President Biden signs the legislation today, the focus will shift to determining overall spending allocations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bills, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies spending bill. We have recapped the core parts of the deal in greater depth below, but we will gain a clearer picture of funding levels for education and workforce development programs over the next few weeks. As we await more details, here are some news and notes:

• Deal Reached on Debt Limit: House Republicans and White House negotiators reached a deal last weekend on a legislative package that would suspend the debt ceiling until January 2025, set limits on federal spending in FY 2024 and 2025 for defense and non-defense programs, rescind some unspent COVID relief funding, change some Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) rules that would limit eligibility for some, and reallocate some of the Internal Revenue (IRS) funding provided in the Inflation Reduction Act. Learn more about R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, and its impact on CTE and workforce development programs here.

• Nominations Extended for Career Clusters Advisory Groups: Recently, nominations were opened for a set of 15 national advisory groups that will help to provide input into potential changes to the National Career Clusters Framework. The nominations have been extended until June 16. See more from Advance CTE here.

• Meet Rose Schoshinski, ACTE's New Public Policy Intern: Rose Schoshinski recently joined the ACTE team as an intern in the Public Policy Department. Learn more about Rose here.

DC Digest: May 20-26

This week in Washington was again dominated by negotiations to raise the debt ceiling before a June 1 default date. As of late this week, some progress has been made toward reaching a deal, but the House is set to leave town for the Memorial Day recess period. It is expected that lawmakers will be called back to Washington to vote potentially early next week if a deal is reached over the weekend, providing for at least 72 hours to review any legislation. We will be closely monitoring the negotiations, as they may have significant implications for CTE and workforce development programs. The Senate is in session next week, but the House is out of Washington for the next week. In the meantime, here are a few notes: 

• OCTAE Releases Notice of Proposed Priorities for Perkins Innovation and Modernization: On May 24, OCTAE released the Notice of Proposed Priorities (NPP) for the Perkins Innovation and Modernization grant program for FY 2023. View the Federal Register notice here. Comments must be received on or before Thursday, June 15, 2023. Read more about the NPP here. 

• Department of Education Shares Recommendations for Artificial Intelligence: The Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology (OET) has released a report, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations," summarizing opportunities and risks for AI in teaching, learning, research and assessment based on public input. A webinar will be held on June 13, 2023, from 2:30-3:30PM ET. Read the full report here, core messages here and look for more information about the webinar at tech.ed.gov/ai. 

• Department of Education, NASA Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Advance STEM and Space Education: NASA and the Department of Education have signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to strengthen efforts to increase access to high-quality STEM and space education to students and schools across the nation. Read more about the partnership here. 

• Student Loan Hearing: The House Education and the Workforce Committee on May 24 held a hearing titled, “Breaking the System II: Examining the Implication of Biden’s Student Loan Policies for Students and Taxpayers.” Republicans on the Committee pressed senior department officials for firm answers and commitments on responding to requests for documents and details and on other issues. This hearing was the second in a series examining the implications of the Biden administration’s policies on the student loan system. This time, Under Secretary James Kvaal and Federal Student Aid (FSA) chief operating officer Richard Cordray testified. Both defended the administration’s student loan policies and shared some details about efforts to restart loan payments and to modernize the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A recording of the hearing can be found here. 

DC Digest: May 13-19

This week in Washington, Congress was focused on negotiating a debt ceiling and broader budget deal before the potential June 1 default deadline, and lawmakers plan to continue negotiations throughout the weekend. We are following the debt limit deal closely as it has the potential to impact overall federal spending levels for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, and funding for education and workforce development in particular. While the House is in session next week, the Senate has recessed for a state work period. Senators will return if a deal is reached and ready for a vote. In the meantime, here are some news and notes:

• Broad Coalition Sends Letter on FY 2024 Appropriations: On May 15, a broad coalition of organizations focused on education, workforce, healthcare and other domestic priorities sent a letter to congressional leadership urging against cuts to non-defense discretionary spending in FY 2024 appropriations.

• Secretary Cardona Testifies in House: On May 16, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce during a hearing titled “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education.” The hearing included significant discussions about the value of CTE and the importance of a strong federal investment in CTE and workforce development programs, and you can read more here.

• Department of Education Proposes New “Gainful Employment” Rules: On May 17, the U.S. Department of Education released new proposed regulations related to accountability for all postsecondary certificate programs and degree programs at for-profit institutions. The proposed metrics relate to student loan debt and earnings, and comments are due on June 20. We will have more in-depth analysis soon.
  
  
• Nominations Open for Career Clusters Advisory Groups: Recently, nominations were opened for a set of 15 national advisory groups that will help to provide input into potential changes to the National Career Clusters Framework. See more from Advance CTE here.

• Deputy Secretary of Education Visits CTE Programs: On May 15, Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten visited CodeRVA Regional High School in Richmond, Virginia, with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), where they learned about how the school is preparing students for careers in computer science and coding. Read more about the visit here.

• Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces Strategies to Train and Connect American Workers to Jobs: On May 16, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new efforts to ensure all Americans can access good jobs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. Read more about these strategies here.

• Department of Labor Announces Funding Availability to Expand Employment of Disabled Youth: The Department of Labor has announced the availability of $1.5 million in funds to support the first year of a cooperative agreement for the operations of a policy development center focused on advancing employment opportunities and outcomes for disabled youth. Read more here.

• Department of Labor Welcomes 98 New Apprenticeship Ambassadors: The Department of Labor has announced the latest 98 additions to Apprenticeship Ambassadors to help the department promote and support Registered Apprenticeship opportunities nationwide. Read more about the program here.

• Department of Labor Hosts Workforce Summit: This week, the Department of Labor hosted “ETA Vision 2030: Investing in America’s Workforce,” with more than 500 key stakeholders. Attendees connected with partners from across the broader workforce ecosystem at a three-day event aimed at leveraging the Administration’s investments in infrastructure, climate and advanced manufacturing sectors to develop talent pipelines and create pathways to good jobs for workers across America. Read more about the conference here.

DC Digest: April 29-May 12

The primary focus in Washington this week was negotiations between President Biden and bipartisan congressional leadership meetings to tackle the debt ceiling impasse. In addition, preparation for Farm Bill reauthorization began with bi-partisan meetings at the White House, and hearings were held on appropriations and WIOA reauthorization. Both chambers will be in session next week, and in addition to a continued focus on the debt ceiling, they are also expected to cover the humanitarian crisis at the U.S. border. As we continue to monitor developments across a variety of subjects, here are the news items from this week in Washington:

• Secretary Cardona Testifies Before Senate Appropriations Committee on FY24 Budget Request: On May 11, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. This hearing focused on President Biden’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget request for the Department of Education, and included significant CTE content. . Read more about the hearing here.

• Career-Z Challenge Resources Available: The Career Z Challenge, a $2.5 million prize competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) to support work-based learning, has extended its application deadline to June 6, 2023, at 6:00PM ET. Additional new materials can be accessed on the Challenge website.

• Department of Education Announces 2023 CTE Presidential Scholars: On May 10, the U.S. Department of Education announced its 2023 class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, including 20 CTE students. Read more about the winners here.

• Debt Limit Negotiations May Impact CTE Programs: Congress has made little progress in reaching a deal to extend the national debt limit and avoid default. Despite a meeting on Tuesday at the White House between President Biden and bi-partisan congressional leadership, no solution appears imminent. Read more about the implications for CTE here.

• Meet Jimmy Koch, ACTE's New Manager of Government Relations: Jimmy Koch has joined ACTE as our new Government Relations Manager. Read more about Jimmy here.

• House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee Holds WIOA Hearing: On May 11, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing titled “Examining America’s Workforce Challenges: Looking for Ways to Improve Skills Development.” The hearing focused primarily on potential reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Read more about the hearing here.

• RAISE Act Reintroduced: On May 11, the Respect, Advancement, and Increasing Support for Educators Act, or RAISE Act, was reintroduced. The bill would provide all eligible educators with a $1,000 refundable tax credit, with an additional credit of up to $15,000 for teachers in under-resourced schools and communities. It would also double the educator tax deduction to $500 to offset the cost of school supplies. ACTE has endorsed the legislation.

• RETAIN Act Introduced: On May 11, Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), along with Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Tina Smith (D-MN), introduced the Retaining Educators Takes Added Investment Now (RETAIN) Act, which would also provide tax credits to improve teacher retention. ACTE has endorsed this legislation as well.

• Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act Introduced: On May 11, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), with Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), introduced the Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act, a bi-partisan bill that creates a 5-year grant program at the Department of Labor to support community colleges and CTE centers in developing education and training programs for workforce development utilizing immersive technology including augmented and virtual reality. ACTE has endorsed this legislation.

• Departments of Commerce, Labor and Education Announce SelectTalentUSA, New Partnership to Increase Quality Jobs through FDI: Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su have announced the launch of SelectTalentUSA, a joint initiative to help build a pipeline of skilled workers to meet the growing workforce needs of foreign multinationals as they establish operations in the United States. Read more about the initiative here.

• Department of Education Officials Visit Career Pathway Programs: On May 4, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona traveled to Miami, Florida, with Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) to highlight William H. Turner Technical Arts High School’s medical, construction, and agricultural magnet programs. On May 8, the Secretary traveled to Hampton, Virginia, with House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott to highlight high-quality career readiness programs at Bethel High School. In addition, Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten continued the “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” tour in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy, which uses STEM education to accelerate learning and deliver comprehensive and rigorous instruction. You can read more about the visits by viewing Tweets from our Twitter page.

• Rehabilitation Services Administration Invites Applications for Improving Pre-Employment Transition Services for Youth with Disabilities: The U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration has announced a notice inviting applications for the Disability Innovation Fund, Pathways to Partnerships Innovative Model Demonstration Project (Pathways to Partnerships). The application deadline is June 5, 2023. The Notice Inviting Applications and additional information, including the Application Package, can be found here.

• Department of Labor Announces Funding for Pathways to Good Infrastructure Jobs: The Department of Labor has announced the availability of $80 million in funding through its Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program. Read more here.

• Department of Labor Awards Grants for Nursing Workforce Programs: The Department of Labor has announced the award of over $78 million in grants to support workforce training programs in 17 states and address staffing challenges nursing professionals face in the care economy. Read more about the awards here.

DC Digest: April 22-28

While both chambers of Congress were in session this week, only a few votes were held. The House did vote on the Republican debt limit package, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811), and it passed on a party-line vote of 217-215. The package proposes significant cuts to non-defense discretionary spending and limits on future spending, which could impact education and workforce development programs. As this discussion continues, ACTE is continuing to communicate with congressional staff and stakeholders about the potential impact of these cuts and advocate for the highest possible levels of education spending. The House will be out of session next week, but the Senate is expected to continue discussions around this bill and the debt limit more broadly. In the meantime, here are some news and notes from the week:

• College Scorecard Update: The Department of Education has announced enhancements to the College Scorecard, including data on the median earnings of former graduates four years after completion of their requisite field of study; new demographic data, including race/ethnicity data for full-time staff and student-to-faculty ratios; and greater information for prospective graduate students on fields of study, earnings and student debt trends. Visit the College Scorecard here.

• House Small Business Committee Holds Hearing on Strengthening Small Business: On April 26, the House Committee on Small Business’s Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development held a hearing titled “Help Wanted: Exploring How Alternative Paths to Student Debt Can Help to Strengthen Small Business.” The hearing featured several workforce development advocates that discussed a variety of career opportunities for students, and how CTE can help provide these opportunities. Read more about the hearing here.

• National Apprenticeship Act of 2023 Introduced: On April 25, House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the National Apprenticeship Act of 2023. Read more about the bill here.

• Coalition Partner Sends Letter on FY 2024 Appropriations: This week, the Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce (CIAW), one of ACTE’s coalition partners, sent a letter calling on Congress to support robust funding for education and workforce development programs in FY 2024. ACTE joined the letter in support.

• National Apprenticeship System Enhancements Listening Session: On May 5, the Department of Labor will host a National Apprenticeship System Enhancements Listening Session at 3:00pm EST. You can register for the listening session here.

• HELP Committee Approves Julie Su’s Nomination as Secretary of Labor: On April 26, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee votedto favorably report the nomination of U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor. It was a party-line 11-10 vote, and the future of her nomination is uncertain.

• Members of Congress Re-introduce College Transparency Act: On April 27, the College Transparency Act (CTA) was reintroduced in the House and Senate by a large group of lawmakers. The bill would improve the information available about postsecondary programs and outcomes and ease information sharing. ACTE has endorsed the legislation again this Congress.

DC Digest: April 15-21

Congress returned from recess on Monday, April 17, and most of their focus was on appropriations hearings, judicial nomination issues and congressional Republicans’ debt ceiling proposal, which you can read more about below. Both chambers will be back in session next week as well, where the House in particular is expected to continue discussions on the debt limit proposal and potentially hold a vote. As we wait to learn more, here are some news and notes:

• FY 2024 Appropriations Update: Earlier his week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) released House Republicans’ debt limit proposal. It would raise the national debt limit in exchange for significant cuts to non-discretionary defense spending and limiting future spending. Specifically, it would roll spending back to at least FY 22 levels and limit growth to 1% per year over the next 10 years. These cuts could have detrimental impact on education and workforce development programs, including Perkins. Speaker McCarthy plans to hold a House vote on the bill by the end of next week. You can read a copy of the debt limit proposal here.

• Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Secretary of Education Cardona at Axios Summit: Earlier this week, House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona attended Axios’s Skills Summit, where they discussed their respective focuses on skills-based hiring. Both Secretary Cardona and Chairwoman Foxx shared that institutes of higher education, including two-year colleges, must evolve to meet workforce demands amid changing economic conditions. Both also emphasized the importance of industry partnerships. Read more from their comments at Axios here.

• Federal Register Publishes Notice on National CTE Research Study: The Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences has released the second draft of two surveys that will be conducted in 2023 to collect information about CTE policy and program implementation under Perkins V: a survey of all state directors of CTE, and a nationally representative sample of district coordinators of CTE. Comments on the surveys must be submitted by May 22, 2023. Read more from the Federal Register notice here.

• Introducing Senator Ted Budd, New Co-Chair of Senate CTE Caucus: On April 21, ACTE and Advance CTE announced that Sen. Ted Budd will become the new co-chair of the bipartisan Senate CTE Caucus! He will be taking the place of former Sen. Rob Portman, who retired at the end of last Congress. He had helped to lead the Senate CTE Caucus for 11 years. Read more about the announcement here.

• Secretary of Education Cardona Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee: Earlier this week, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies to discuss the Biden-Harris Administration’s fiscal year 2024 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education. Cardona was also asked about his support for extending Pell grants to short-term workforce programs. Read more about the hearing here.

• National Science Foundation Director Emphasizes Workforce Development in Budget Hearing: During testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science, National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Sethuraman Panchanathan emphasized the importance of rapid workforce development investments and scaling training programs to fill jobs created by investments in key industries, such as manufacturing, semiconductor research and development, and infrastructure. Read more about the hearing here.

• OCTAE Blog Recognizing Community Colleges: Assistant Secretary Amy Loyd of the Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) published a blog post celebrating community college during National Community College Month. Read the blog here.

• Department of Labor Announces Funding to Attract and Retain Women in Registered Apprenticeships and Nontraditional Occupations: The Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced a $5 million funding opportunity during the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America tour. Funding would be available to help increase gender equity in apprenticeships and nontraditional occupations for up to 14 grant recipients. Read more about the funding here.

• Department of Labor Announces Job Training Grants and Services for Rural Communities: The Department of Labor has announced $44.2 million in funding in Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) initiative demonstration grants. The WORC initiative seeks to address persistent economic distress and create pathways to high-quality careers for people living or working in the Appalachian, Lower Mississippi Delta and Northern Border regions, helping them to remain and thrive in these communities. In concert with community partnerships, the initiative aligns with existing economic and workforce development plans to support local and regional workforces’ employment and training needs. Read more about the funding here.

DC Digest: April 8-14

Congress remained on recess this week so things in Washington were relatively quiet. However, there was a fair amount of conversation about the debt limit, with Republicans congressional leaders floating several ideas as part of ongoing negotiations. Several of those ideas could prove detrimental to education and workforce development funding, including across the board cuts to domestic discretionary spending, caps on non-defense spending and limits on spending growth for the next 10 years. As Congress returns on April 17, these debt limit conversations are expected to ramp up in the House in particular. In the meantime, here is some other news from the past week:

• 37 Senators Support Perkins Funding: The “Dear Colleague” letter led by Sens. Blumenthal (D-CT) and Kaine (D-VA) has been finalized and sent to the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. A total of 37 senators signed the letter in support of robust funding for the Perkins Basic State Grant in the FY 24 appropriations bill. You can view the final letter and check for your senators here!
  
  
• Senators Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill on Early Postsecondary Opportunities: Peters (D-MI), Boozman (R-AR), Kaine (D-VA) and Braun (IN) have re-introduced legislation that would expand opportunities within the Higher Education Act to support dual and concurrent enrollment and early college high school programs. ACTE has endorsed this legislation.
  
  
• CTE Caucus Co-Chair Announces Re-election Bid: Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), co-chair of the Senate CTE Caucus, has announced her intent to run for re-election in 2024.
  
  
• Department of Education Delays Third-party Servicer Guidance: In a blog post on April 11, Department of Education Under Secretary James Kvaal announced that initial guidance on transparency and accountability for contractors who work with institutions of higher education on program management and delivery would be delayed.The Department is reviewing feedback received on initial guidance and will be reissuing revisions to the guidance letter, which will then take effect at least six months later.

DC Digest: April 1-7

Congress was on recess this week for the Easter and Passover holidays and will not return until April 17. That made it a relatively quiet week on Capitol Hill, but there was still a variety of activity within the Administration related to CTE. Here is a wrap-up of various news and notes:

• Department of Education Hosts Information Session on Career Z WBL Challenge: The first information session for those interested in applying for the Career Z Work-based Learning Challenge was held on April 4. Visit the website to view a recording, slides and more information.
  
  
• Department of Education Seeks Peer Reviewers: The Department of Education has released a notice seeking peer reviewers for various upcoming grant competitions, including competitions within the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education such as under the Perkins Act’s Innovation and Modernization Fund. Please register at g5.gov if you are interested in serving in this role!
  
  
• Administration Officials Visit CTE Programs: First Lady Jill Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona were on the road during the week visiting CTE and other education and workforce development programs, including in Colorado, Michigan, Maine and Vermont. See more coverage on our ACTE Public Policy Twitter Account!
  
  
• Department of Labor Announces New Grant Program: $80 million is now available for the “Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs” grant program, which is designed to allow public and private sector partners to develop or scale workforce training programs in advanced manufacturing; IT; and careers in renewable energy, transportation and broadband infrastructure. Applications are due July 7, and more information is available at https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20230405.

DC Digest: March 25-31

This week in Washington, lawmakers focused on pressing national security and domestic issues, debt limit negotiations, holding oversight hearings and conducting further appropriations hearings as part of the fiscal year 2024 appropriations process. The House and Senate are now out of session until after the two-week Easter and Passover recess. They will return during the week of April 17. As we await their return, here are some news and notes:

• New Community College Enrollment Data Released: The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) has released the most recent data highlighting community college enrollment in spring 2023. The data revealed that community college enrollment is up by 2.1%, fueled by strong growth among dual credit students and freshmen. You can examine the complete list of figures released by the NSC here.

• Advance CTE President Testifies on Rural Issues: On March 29, South Dakota state CTE director and Advance CTE president Laura Scheibe testified before the House Appropriations Committee during a hearing titled “Addressing the Challenges of Rural America.” Scheibe fielded questions from committee members and detailed South Dakota’s efforts to support secondary and postsecondary CTE students through a variety of methods, including Student Support Counselors who assist first-generation students with transportation, affordable housing and navigating postsecondary education. In addition, she illuminated the importance of Perkins funding and flexible distribution of Perkins funds. Read more about the hearing here.

• Summit Gathers in DC to Discuss Workforce Development for Young Adults: The U.S. Department of Labor recently hosted workforce development advocates and professionals from around the United States at the Youth Employment Works Summit to discuss its new youth and young adult employment initiative that prioritizes these workers in developing the workforce of the nation. Read more about the summit here.

Summit Gathers in D.C. to Discuss Workforce Development for Young Adults

The U.S. Department of Labor recently hosted workforce development advocates and professionals from around the United States at the Youth Employment Works Summit to discuss its new youth and young adult employment initiative that prioritizes these workers in developing the workforce of the nation. The initiative is called the Youth Employment Works Strategy and its goals are the following:

• Deliver accessible supportive services and workforce development opportunities for youth and young workers.
• Improve partnerships between the private and public sectors to increase investment in high-quality pathways for young people and develop a strong basis for the future workforce.
• Offer guaranteed paid work-based learning opportunities to ALL young people.

The summit featured guests from organizations like the United Federation of Teachers, New America, Jobs for America’s Graduates and professionals from the Department of Commerce and the Department of Transportation. The summit was intentionally diverse in the types of guests featured to demonstrate that better developing the nation’s workforce around young people is a collective effort that will require individuals from all walks of life.

The summit held multiple panels on topics such as worker and educational diversity, public-private sector partnerships, cross-agency collaboration and reimagining the secondary-level school experience for students throughout the nation. Panelists like Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, emphasized the importance of making CTE more accessible to all students in the country and putting less emphasis on building curricula around the traditional four-year degree path. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only about one-third of 18-24-year-olds enrolled in a four-year institution in 2020, with more than 60% of young people choosing a different pathway after high school. Weingarten also called for increasing career pathways access to all students around the nation.

The event was closed with remarks from U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, who reiterated the importance of the new initiative, the calls to action of all the panelists, as well as the importance of ensuring all learners around the country have access to CTE and work-based learning opportunities across state lines.