CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

ED Launches Career Z Challenge

This week, the U.S. Department of Education launched the Career Z Challenge, a multi-phase prize competition to expand high school student access to high-quality work-based learning (WBL). 

Perkins-eligible schools, districts and consortiums are invited to share their ideas for creating or enhancing WBL opportunities in CTE programs. Eligible entrants will engage collaborative ecosystems of educators, businesses, industries, workforce processionals and community stakeholders to provide students across grades 9-12 with WBL that is interconnected, expansive and sustainable. Semi-finalists and finalists will be eligible for targeted technical assistance, including professional development support, webinars and training, participation in a community of practice (CoP) and a portion of a $2.5 million prize pool.

The Career Z Challenge consists of three phases:

• Phase 1: Registration, Submission and Selection (March – August 2023): Interested parties should attend an information session on April 4 at 2pm ET or May 4 at 2pm ET and register to learn more and receive updates by April 11. Proposals can be submitted from April 12 to May 24. Up to 100 semi-finalists will be selected to participate in Phase 2 of the Challenge.
• Phase 2: Implementation and Results (September 2023 – July 2024): During Phase 2, semi-finalists will receive technical assistance, participate in a CoP and have access to resources and support services. At the end of Phase 2, up to 10 finalists will be selected for Phase 3. 
• Phase 3: Acceleration and Results (August 2024 – July 2025): During Phase 3, finalists will take part in a more accelerated, intensive process. At the end of Phase 3, finalists will submit a report on their accelerated implementation, project results and sustainability plan.

This challenge is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Raise the Bar: Unlocking Career Success initiative. 

State of the Union Highlights CTE Interests

Tuesday’s State of the Union address by President Biden highlighted several initiatives relevant to CTE, including the necessity of recruiting and retaining workers to fill many of the jobs created by legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the importance of increasing teacher salaries.

Most notably, President Biden called out the importance of connecting students to career opportunities. “Let’s finish the job, connect students to career opportunities starting in high school and provide two years of community college, some of the best career training in America, in addition to being a pathway to a four-year degree.”

Giving the GOP response, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced a plan to increase Arkansas teacher pay, stating that the plan “improves career readiness and helps put a good teacher in every classroom by increasing their starting salary from one of the lowest to one of the highest in the nation.”

Spotlighting CTE even further, Rep. Marie Glusenkamp Perez (D-WA) hosted CTE teacher Cory Torppa as her guest at the speech. He is a construction, engineering design and manufacturing teacher at Kalama High School in Washington and a 2022 grand prize winner of the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence.                                                                                        Photo courtesy of Rep. Glusenkamp Perez

Kate Foley, a 10th grade computer-integrated manufacturing student at Rolling Meadows High School in Illinois High School District 214, also attended the speech as a guest of First Lady Jill Biden. Rolling Meadows is a public high school that prepares students for future careers through partnerships with the local community college, work-based learning opportunities with employers and career advising programs.

You can read the full State of the Union speech here.

Secretary of Education Tours CTE Programs at Francis Tuttle Technology Center

On January 27, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona toured programs and spoke with Information Technology, Broadcast Production and 3D Design students at Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City, OK. The Secretary spoke in a roundtable session with the students about the ways in which Francis Tuttle is preparing students for successful careers through CTE. 

”I came here because I heard this program is great, and it’s providing real-world learning opportunities for employment,” said Secretary Cardona after visiting Francis Tuttle’s programs and learning about the projects that they are currently working on.

”This is an example of what we want to see across the country,” said Cardona. “If we can, what I call ’blur the lines’ between our high school systems, our college systems and our industry, I think our students are going to have better opportunities throughout the country.”

The Secretary also noted his desire to expand CTE in comprehensive high schools nationwide. “Students need to have real-world experiences in the industries that are prevalent in their communities.”

Education Secretary Cardona Prioritizes CTE in Major Policy Speech

On January 24, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced a new Education Department initiative called “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” in a what was called a “major address” at the Department’s headquarters.

The new initiative outlines the Secretary’s priorities and direction of the agency for the coming year in three major areas: achieving academic excellence, improving learning conditions and creating pathways for global engagements. The Department emphasized that these were not new priorities, but rather “a call to strengthen our will to transform education for the better, building on approaches that we know work in education.”

CTE was featured prominently in the section of the speech focused on global competitiveness and college and career pathways, and we’ve included the text of that portion of the speech below for reference. It is a positive sign to hear the Secretary speaking specifically about CTE as a key education and economic solution, and over the coming weeks, we will be working closely with the Department on ways to strengthen their work. Stay tuned for more information about this new initiative!

Excerpt from Secretary’s speech:

Currently, our Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 system and college systems are disconnected. 

For too many students, the gaps between the systems are too big to cross. 

For example, the skills for the high paying jobs that will be made available through the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act must be better infused into our K-12 education system, especially STEM and Career Technical Education courses, so our students graduate with options for success.

This means that dual enrollment courses for local colleges should start at 11th grade and that ambitious high schoolers can graduate with an associate’s degree or credential without paying a penny.

Already, we’ve secured over a billion dollars in funding for career and technical education through the Perkins Grant program and $25 million for career-connected high schools.  Now is the time to build on that.

To help get there, in November, we launched a new pathways initiative called Raise the Bar: Unlocking Career Success – together with the First Lady and the Secretaries of Labor and Commerce.  As we roll out this initiative, it will include very specific plans on how our high schools should be evolved to meet the career and college pathways of today and tomorrow.  Look out for our plan:  Better yet, put it to good use. 

It also means that Career Pathways in high schools can lead to micro credentials for the jobs of today and tomorrow.  We have the students for the careers needed to build America. We just have to better align our systems and clear the path for our students.

We must challenge our myopic view that emphasizing the importance of career pathways is about limiting students, or the view that it’s four-year-college or bust. 

Advancing career pathways in high schools is about more options for students, not less. What it does is prepare them for the careers of today with options, and in some cases, their employer will pay for their future education.

If we do this well, our graduates will be able to compete on a global stage. 

It’s my intention to Raise the Bar so we can lead the world in advanced career and technical education. 

Department of Education Guidance on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and TEACH Grants

Recent changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF) and updates to the TEACH Grant program may provide ACTE members with an opportunity to receive PSLF credit for federal student loan payments previously made and enjoy streamlined requirements for the TEACH Grant program.

You may be able to receive credit for student loan payments that did not qualify for PSLF under the previous rules. Now until October 31, 2022, all periods of repayment of your federal student loans will count toward your PSLF eligibility, regardless of whether you hold Direct Loans, Perkins loans or another loan type. If you have federal student loans, this is a great opportunity! Many of those working with and teaching in CTE programs may qualify for the expanded PSLF waiver. Additionally, if you received Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF), that period of service will concurrently count toward (PSLF). There are a few steps you should take to take advantage of these benefits:

If you currently have direct federal loans and have not applied for PSLF:

• Make sure your employer is eligible for PSLF through the PSLF tool. 
• Consolidate your loans, if you wish. 
• Apply for PSLF before October 31, 2022. 

If you have already received credit toward PSLF:

• No further action will be needed, unless the Department of Education contacts you. 

If you were denied from receiving PSLF previously: 

• You will need to submit a new PSLF form to reevaluate your eligibility for PSLF. 

Recent changes to the TEACH Grant program will also mean that borrowers who received these grants will not be subject to the same requirements as in previous years. Specifically, these new changes include:

• Only four complete teaching certifications across the eight-year requirement 
• Expanded fields of eligibility for TEACH recipients  
• Entrance, exit and loan conversion counseling

The Department of Education will also reconsider grant-to-loan conversions, extend the time to meet service, and remove interest and negative reporting.

You do not need to take any action to take advantage of these new TEACH Grant changes.

You can view a recording of a recent webinar explaining these opportunities at the link here. If you have questions about PSLF and/or TEACH Grants, please contact ACTE Government Relations Manager, Zach Curtis, at zcurtis@acteonline.org.

OCTAE Assistant Secretary Talks CTE at Advance CTE Fireside Chat

On September 6, the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) Assistant Secretary Amy Loyd spoke with Advance CTE Executive Director Kimberly Green as a part of Advance CTE’s Fall Fireside Chat series. This is one of Assistant Secretary Loyd’s first public appearances to discuss CTE since her Senate confirmation in June. OCTAE oversees the Perkins Act and other federal CTE-related initiatives, including community colleges, adult education and literacy, and correctional education.

Assistant Secretary Loyd was asked to discuss the experiences that led her to her current role. She pointed to her Native heritage and her parents’ careers as education professionals as defining factors in her career path. She attended Santa Fe Community College, Northern New Mexico Community College, St. John’s College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she earned her doctorate in educational leadership. Among her professional degrees, she has also earned an EMT certification.

Across her work with Jobs for the Future (JFF) and the Cook Inlet Tribal Council in Alaska, Loyd has focused on K-12 education, community colleges, adult education, workforce development, economic development and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Loyd expressed that she hoped to ensure that CTE programs closely reflect the communities that they serve. Further, she also emphasized the need for culturally responsive education and a need to support students through training and wraparound services, especially Alaska Native and Native American communities. Loyd also pointed to her observations of the Swiss apprenticeship model, in which 70% of secondary-school-aged children participate in a hands-on apprenticeship program that culminates in an industry-recognized credential.

When asked what she hoped to achieve by the end of her appointment at the Department of Education, Loyd expressed a desire to align CTE programs and practices with the Biden Administration’s priorities for CTE. ACTE looks forward to continuing our close partnership and work with OCTAE under Assistant Secretary’s Loyd’s leadership.

You can view a recording of the webinar here.

Biden Administration Announces Executive Actions on Student Debt

Earlier today, President Biden announced his Administration’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 of federal student loan debt for individual borrowers making less than $125,000 per year who previously received a Pell grant, and up to $10,000 of federal loan forgiveness for other borrowers making less than $125,000 a year. He also announced a final extension of the student loan repayment, interest and collections pause that was first put into place in March 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Specifically, the Biden Administration’s plan calls for:

• Borrowers with annual income during the pandemic of $125,000 (for individuals) or under $250,000 (for married couples or heads of households) will be eligible for up to $10,000 in relief. 
• Borrowers with annual income during the pandemic of under $125,000 (for individuals) or under $250,000 (for married couples or heads of households) who received a Pell Grant in college will be eligible for up to $20,000 in debt cancellation. 
• The pause on student loan repayment, interest and collections will be extended through December 31, 2022, with all student loan payments resuming in January 2023.

Additionally, the Department of Education will propose new regulations that will:

• Create a new income-driven repayment plan that will reduce future monthly payments from 10% to 5% of discretionary income. 
• Raise the amount of income that is considered nondiscretionary income and protected from repayment. 
• Forgive loan balances after 10 years of payments, instead of the current 20 years under most income-driven repayment plans, for borrowers with original loan balances of $12,000 or less.
• Cover the borrower’s unpaid monthly interest, so that a borrower’s loan balance will not grow so long as they are making their required monthly payment.

The proposed regulations will be published in the coming days on the Federal Register, and the public will be invited to comment on the draft rule for 30 days. The Department of Education plans to release more details in the coming days on how borrowers can obtain the relief outlined above. You can read more about the plan from the White House and the Department of Education.

White House, Department of Education Highlight American Rescue Plan Funding

On July 13, the White House held an event titled, “White House Summit on the American Rescue Plan and the Workforce” to highlight how American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding has been used to support pandemic recovery and workforce-related initiatives, particularly in the public health and infrastructure fields. The event featured Vice President Kamala Harris, Gene Sperling, head of the White House American Rescue Plan Implementation Team and National Skills Coalition CEO Andy Van Kleunen. 

WRTP/Big Step, a Milwaukee workforce development organization, and Employ Milwaukee, the City of Milwaukee’s workforce development board, also attended the event and discussed their efforts to train Milwaukee residents to enter careers in infrastructure. The organizations noted a need to extend Pell Grants to short-term postsecondary training programs, a top priority for ACTE. 

Additionally, the Department of Education recently announced the release of the final allocation of ARP funding to support students at high-need institutions. The grants were awarded to HBCUs, Minority-serving Institutions, community colleges, rural institutions and institutions serving large populations of low-income students. 

You can read more about the Department of Education’s release of ARP funding here.

Swiss Embassy Hosts Apprenticeship Training Panel

On June 28, the Swiss Embassy in the United States held a reception at the residence of Ambassador of Switzerland Jacques Pitteloud to highlight the Swiss, Austrian and German apprenticeship models, and discuss lessons that can be applied to the U.S. apprenticeship system.

Ambassador Pitteloud welcomed the attendees and introduced representatives of the three countries featuring their apprentices at the panel discussion. Additional welcome remarks were given by Ambassador of Austria Martin Weiss and Ambassador of Germany Emily Haber.

The companies included Buhler Aeroglide of Switzerland and North Carolina, Engel Machinery of Austria and Pennsylvania and Linde + Wiemann of Germany and Georgia. Each of the three companies’ attendees noted that they were drawn to their apprenticeship programs by a desire to obtain debt-free education and hands-on learning opportunities.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo was in attendance and discussed her support for registered apprenticeships, highlighting the ongoing challenges for American global economic competitiveness and emphasizing the availability of jobs in high-demand fields.

The event concluded with remarks from Brent Parton, Acting Assistant Secretary at the Department of Labor, on the takeaways from the event.

Amy Loyd Confirmed as OCTAE Assistant Secretary

On June 8, the U.S. Senate voted 57-42 to confirm Dr. Amy Loyd as Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Loyd was nominated to this position in August of 2021 by President Biden, after serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary within the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE). With the confirmation vote, Dr. Loyd can now officially assume leadership of OCTAE, which oversees the Perkins Act and other federal CTE-related initiatives.

Secretary of Education Cardona applauded the nomination, “I am thrilled by the Senate’s confirmation of Amy Loyd, whose expertise in the intersection between education and workforce development will make her an excellent assistant secretary for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education."

ACTE and Advance CTE jointly issued a statement of support as well:

“As key legislation and funding negotiations with implications for Career Technical Education (CTE) and workforce development persist in Congress, it is crucial for leaders at the intersection of education and work to have a seat at the table. Dr. Loyd’s confirmation as OCTAE Assistant Secretary provides the field with an exceptional advocate for equitable access to high-quality CTE and an experienced leader with a deep understanding of not only the needs of local, regional and state CTE leaders, but also historically marginalized communities through her work at JFF and the Cook Inlet Tribal Council in Alaska. Her leadership at OCTAE will be instrumental in preparing our nation’s workforce to obtain and advance in high-skill, high-wage and in-demand careers. We congratulate Assistant Secretary Loyd on her confirmation, and look forward to working with her to ensure federal policy fully leverages CTE programs and career pathways as high-quality, equitable avenues for each learner to achieve success in the jobs of the future.”