CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

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), which was last reauthorized in 2014. Witnesses from higher education, career support agencies and national workforce development stakeholders participated in the hearing.

Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), Chairman of the Subcommittee, expressed frustration with the workforce system as it stands in his opening statement.

“Employers across the country are searching for talent, and good-paying jobs are available for those who possess the right skills,” said Rep. Owens. “Only about one-third of those participating in WIOA engage in any type of skills development. Less than 100,000 individuals nationwide completed their program in the most recent year. We’re not going to close the skills gap if we stay on this trajectory.”

Lydia Logan, IBM’s Vice President for Global Education and Workforce Development, shared insights from the company’s perspective and outlined their workforce initiatives.

“To help close the skills gap, we offer a range of education, skills, and career readiness programs to U.S. students and job seekers at no cost,” said Logan. “Our programs help Americans get on the path to technology careers by reskilling people in early or mid-career job roles via our registered apprenticeship program or through collaborative partnerships with nonprofit organizations, education systems and skilling programs. Today, we have more than 30 different apprenticeship job roles, from cybersecurity to AI to digital design.”

Bruce Ferguson, CEO of CareerSource Northeast Florida, highlighted the need to simplify WIOA paperwork and offer additional support during the application process in order to ensure small businesses are not discouraged from participating in WIOA.

Dr. Harry Holzer, Professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University, outlined how chronically low levels of investment in WIOA are hampering its efforts. “The core programs in Titles I and II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) – the formula funding streams for adult, displaced worker and youth services plus adult basic education – receive just $4B in federal funding per year,” said Dr. Holzer. “Total funding levels for Titles I and II are now about $6B. In an economy whose Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is $25T, and with over 150 million adult workers, these levels are extremely low.”

The witnesses also shared several recommendations for any WIOA reauthorization:

• Aligning education and workforce systems
• Reforming the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL)
• Making work-based learning a higher priority
• Boosting funding for career guidance and other support services for trainees
• Obtaining data on WIOA training providers, outcomes and labor market skill needs

The chairwoman of the full House Education and the Workforce Committee, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), also noted that career exploration must begin earlier than high school for students, while other Members of the Subcommittee highlighted the benefits of community colleges as training partners and called for additional funding for them – including for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants program.

Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) asked how program quality could be ensured if a short-term Pell proposal is signed into law, and Dr. Holzer noted that data would be critical to that effort, and that short-term Pell could serve as a supplement for existing workforce development funding.

You can watch the full hearing at the link 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.” Additional witnesses were present from the Department of Education, National Rural Health Association, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.

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.

“This federal investment means our students learn on modern, industry-grade equipment so they come out workforce ready,” Scheibe noted. “Additionally, our state's Reserve Fund, a flexible portion of Perkins, is a critical tool that allows us to further expand activities benefiting our rural communities. At the secondary level, this funding supports innovation and equipment not otherwise possible for small districts.”

In her opening statement, Scheibe highlighted that CTE is no longer a choice between training and four-year university degrees. “Rather, CTE is a ‘yes, and’” said Scheibe. “[CTE] is a pathway along a continuum that can meet learners where they are – both literally and figuratively – with stackable credentials that have workplace and personal value.”

Scheibe left lawmakers with a reminder that CTE is addressing employer and industry needs nationwide. “CTE is achieving real success for learners across the country, and the federal investment is vital to that success,” said Scheibe.

You can watch the full hearing here.

Election Watch: Reauthorization Bills Preview

The 118th Congress will have its work cut out for it next year, with several major reauthorizations overdue or on the horizon. Three of these reauthorizations fall under the purview of the education committees: the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), National Apprenticeship Act (NAA), and the Higher Education Act (HEA). . On all these bills, the balance of power determined by this year’s midterm elections will have a significant impact on these major pieces of legislation.  

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) 

Of all the education reauthorizations, WIOA has the highest odds of a bipartisan compromise. The bill was last reauthorized in 2014, however, both parties have been motivated to update the law due to changes in the needs and nature of the workforce since the pandemic. Earlier this year, House Democrats passed a WIOA reauthorization (H.R. 7309) largely along party lines. Due to a difference in priorities, the Senate decided not to take up the bill this year. Regardless of party control of Congress, this bill will likely represent the starting point in WIOA negotiations for House Democrats next year.  

Notably, the bill would create a set-aside fund for American Job Center infrastructure costs, removing the requirement for other systems like CTE to contribute funding. It also gave programs more leniency to serve eligible populations by removing the mandated split between in-school and out-of-school youth. Despite these improvements, the bill could have gone further in giving CTE representation in the workforce system and by more intentionally aligning WIOA with Perkins V.  

Republicans did not pass a WIOA alternative while they were in the minority, but they criticized the bill for its price tag and its restrictions on employers. Should they control one or both education committees, it is expected that their version of the bill would be very different. 

National Apprenticeship Act 

The national shift in focus toward work-based learning opportunities has NAA firmly back on Congress’s legislative agenda. NAA has not been updated since it was passed back in 1937, but House Democrats sought to update it via a bill, H.R. 447, which passed the House in February of 2021. Language from this bill was again passed in February of 2022 via the America COMPETES Act; however, neither bill was taken up by the Senate due to a lack of Republican support. This bill would have increased federal funding to expand apprenticeship opportunities and codified regulations and standards, including the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship. Republicans opposed the bill largely due to a disagreement on the exclusion of industry-recognized apprenticeships (IRAPs) that are not registered with the Department of Labor. No matter the results of these midterm elections, it is unclear whether the parties will be able to find a compromise on this disagreement in order to update the law for the first time in 85 years.  

Higher Education Act 

While both parties might agree that the Higher Education Act is in the direst need of reauthorization, the delta between their proposed solutions remains very large. Both parties have put forth several piecemeal and comprehensive proposals to update the law since it was last reauthorized in 2008.  

Most recently, House Republicans led by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) introduced the REAL Reforms Act (H.R. 8655) in August. This bill would focus on changing the student borrower system by reforming loan repayment options, limiting the amount of interest accrued, putting caps on graduate borrowing limits, and eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Additionally, it would expand eligibility to the Pell grant for students enrolled in short-term certification programs at public, non-profit, and private for-profit institutions that meet a certain standard of quality.  

The most recent limited reauthorization proposal issued by House Democrats, the Lowering Obstacles to Achievement Now (LOAN) Act (H.R.8872), takes a different approach at tackling college affordability. The bill would double the maximum Pell Grant award, modify PSLF by shortening the time to forgiveness from 10 years to 8, expand access to subsidized loans, and lower interest rates. The last comprehensive reauthorization drafted by House Democrats was the College Affordability Act (H.R. 4674) of 2019, which had similar aims to the LOAN Act.  

No matter which party is in the majority in the 118th Congress, it will be difficult to find common ground between their stark policy differences on HEA. Given the prevalence of student loan debt and the rising cost of college, however, a HEA reauthorization will be in high demand.  

 

House Passes WIOA Reauthorization

On May 18, the House of Representatives passed a reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) by a vote of 220-196, with just four Republicans joining the Democrats in favor of the bill. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Biden, it would replace the current WIOA rlaw that was passed by Congress in 2014. Due to differing priorities, however, it is unlikely to be brought up in the Senate this year. That said, it could serve as a blueprint for the next Congress to include in negotiations.  

This bill made some changes that were very favorable to the CTE community: 

• Modifies the sharing requirements for the infrastructure costs of one-stop centers by providing dedicated funding through WIOA 
• Eliminates the federal mandate of the split of youth funds 
• Codifies the Workforce Data Quality Initiative into law
• Authorizes additional funds for data system infrastructure improvements 
• Includes a strong overall commitment to equity 

The bill does need further refinements that ACTE has expressed to the House Education & Labor Committee, including:  

• The definition for “eligible youth” is very narrow, raising concerns about how it would limit CTE programs’ ability to link learners to WIOA supports 
• There is a lack of required CTE representation on workforce development boards (the bill does, however, encourage CTE representation) 
• The bill overly restricts the use of online services provided by one-stop centers 

In general, ACTE is continuing to work with policymakers to build more meaningful connections between CTE and workforce systems. Should the Senate decide to take up WIOA reauthorization this year, we will keep you updated on any changes or progress. Given the bill’s Senate prospects, however, it is most likely that we will see no further action on this bill until after the next Congress is sworn in.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Surface Transportation Workforce

On April 27, the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing to discuss bolstering the surface transportation construction workforce. The committee heard from several witnesses about the challenges that they are facing in the wake of workforce shortages, skills gaps and supply chain challenges.

Shoshana Lew, executive director of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), testified about the importance of local labor hiring practices on transportation projects.

“CDOT contracted with the Community College of Denver’s Center for Workforce Initiatives in 2016 to advise CDOT on an appropriate goal and to prioritize programmatic recommendations,” Lew said.

The recommendations included the following:

• Identify and recruit for positions that would attract a broad candidate pool and provide transferable career pathways, such as laborers, equipment operators, commercial drivers, on-the-job trainees, administrative assistants and accounting clerks.
• Establish a sole workforce convener that would coordinate community intake hubs, standardize assessment and referrals and track training and placement outcomes.
• Align multiple training programs to create a pipeline system capable of preparing a wide range of students, job seekers, and workers, and ensuring existing or new training is included on the Colorado’s Eligible Training Provider List.

Tunya Smith, director of the Office of Civil Rights for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, noted that North Carolina is facing several challenges to growing the construction workforce.

“...the average age of North Carolina construction trades workers is approximately 50 years old. The impact of the expected labor shortage is amplified by the fact that many potential workers find construction trades unattractive and challenging to enter. Now more than ever, programs that target and prepare non-traditional populations and laborers are needed.”

Kari Karst, president and CEO of BX Civil & Construction in South Dakota, added that the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides sustainable work opportunities for transportation contractors, heavy contractors, building contractors and utility contractors, but is not without challenges. “This historic level of funding in our infrastructure when combined with recovering from a global pandemic, addressing a supply chain crisis, and implementing new federal requirements that were a part of the IIJA will create challenges for those of us tasked with rebuilding our infrastructure. Making reforms to higher education policy by making high-quality, shorter-term education and training programs eligible for federal Pell Grants would help reverse the skills gap, correct education funding inequities, and provide job training and credentialing opportunities that are in high demand,” Karst said.

“Congress must also increase Perkins CTE funding. The Perkins program is the biggest federal funding source to high schools and post-secondary vocational training programs in the country. Despite modest funding increases in recent years, the level and need of funding still has not kept up with inflation and rising demand.”

Kelly Kupcak, executive director of Oregon Tradeswomen, drew attention to the underrepresentation of women and people of color in the construction and transportation sectors.

“[These are] fields that provide good wages, benefits, and opportunities for a life-long career. Without intentional efforts to improve and support access to such publicly funded jobs, women, particularly women of color, are unlikely to benefit from these historic levels of investment. Nationally, women represent only 4 percent of construction apprentices. Infrastructure jobs also remain highly segregated for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) as well.”

You can watch the full hearing at the link above.

WIOA Reauthorization Bill Formally Introduced

On March 31, Democratic House Education and Labor Committee Chair Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Higher Education Workforce Investment Subcommittee Chair Frederica Wilson (D-FL) introduced a new bill to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The bill, H.R. 7309, is titled the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022.

WIOA was last reauthorized in 2014, and Congress has been working on new legislation for quite some time, including by holding Committee hearings and negotiating potential language. This is the first comprehensive proposal to be introduced this reauthorization cycle, and it is tentatively scheduled to be considered by the House Education and Labor Committee on Tuesday, April 5.

In introducing the legislation, Chairman Scott said, "For decades, WIOA programs have strengthened our economy and helped workers find more sustainable and better-paying jobs. Now, as Americans across the country are getting back to work, it is more critical than ever that we expand access to high-quality job training opportunities. This legislation would finally invest serious federal funding in our nation’s workforce development and help ensure that all workers—including women, people of color, and justice-involved individuals—have access to the resources they need to find rewarding careers.”

We are still working to analyze the legislation and will be weighing in with the Committee with more detailed comments before the markup. However, early reviews indicate that there are some positive changes included in the legislation in line with our priorities. For example, the new bill:

• Eliminates the requirement to spend the majority of youth funds on out-of-school youth, which could make it easier for CTE programs to coordinate with WIOA youth programs.
• Proposes a potential solution to funding the one-stop system's infrastructure costs, replacing the cumbersome memorandum of understanding provision in current law.
• Codifies the Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants, Workforce Data Quality grants, and a new sector strategies program.

We will be providing more details as the bill moves through the legislative process!

April 6 Update:

The House Education and Labor Committee considered the WIOA reauthorization bill on April 5 and approved it on a party-line vote of 29-21. In advance of the markup, ACTE and Advance CTE sent this letter to committee leaders outlining positive aspects of the bill and areas where we think more work is needed. 

Department of Labor CTE-Related Grant Opportunities

The Department of Labor currently has several open competitive grant opportunities for CTE stakeholders to apply for and obtain funding. We’ve reported on many of these grants as they were announced, but wanted to provide them here again all in one place! Here is a rundown of the available grant funding opportunities in order of soonest closing date: 

• Pathway Home 3 
  Designed to support justice-involved individuals and incarcerated adults, this grant closes on April 19, 2022. Eligible entities include re-entry organizations, employers, faith and community-based organizations, unions, nonprofit entities, state and local governments, Tribal governments and public institutions of higher education. Apply for the grant here.

• Growth Opportunities
  For this grant, grantees will need a violence prevention partner with significant experience in culturally competent outreach to individuals with a high risk of committing violence. The goal is to interrupt the cycle of violence. Eligible entities include labor organizations/unions, Native American Tribal organizations and governments, local governments, nonprofit entities and faith and community-based organizations. This grant closes on April 21, 2022. Apply for the grant here. 
   
• Workforce Pathways for Youth 
  These grants will fund national Out of School Time (OST) organizations that serve historically underserved and marginalized youth ages 14 to 21. These grants will place an emphasis on age-appropriate workforce readiness programming to expand job training and workforce pathways for youth, including soft skill development, career exploration, job readiness and certification, summer jobs, year-round job opportunities and apprenticeships. This program aims to also support partnerships between workforce boards and youth serving organizations and establish lasting connections and partnerships with state and local workforce partners to introduce youth to career-related services. This grant closes on April 25, 2022 and is open to nonprofit entities. Apply for the grant here.

• Apprenticeship Building America Grant Program 
  This grant emphasizes partnerships with employers and labor organizations in high-demand, critical industries, including those in the supply chain. The grant will focus on four categories: state apprenticeship system building and modernization; expansion of registered apprenticeship opportunities for youth; ensuring equitable apprenticeship pathways through pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship hubs. Eligible entities include labor organizations/ unions, state and local governments and workforce boards, Tribal governments and organizations, nonprofits, for-profit organizations other than small businesses, public and private higher education institutions, HBCUs, MSIs, school districts, alternative high schools and faith and community-based organizations. This grant closes on April 25, 2022. Apply for the grant here. 
   
• WIOA Indian and Native American Programs - Employment and Training Grants 
  This grant is tailored specifically to Tribal governments and organizations. The funding will be used to help eligible Indians and Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians with employment, financial assistance for education and training, and other supportive services. Native American, Alaskan and Native Hawaiian organizations, as well as Native American, Alaskan and Native Hawaiian Tribal governments are eligible to apply. This grant closes on May 6, 2022. Apply for the grant here.
   

• Strengthening Community Colleges 
  This grant will focus on accelerated learning strategies that support skill development, rapid reskilling and employment through targeted industry sectors and career pathway approaches. Eligible applicants include community colleges that are public institutions of higher education, or consortia, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions. This grant closes on June 2, 2022. Apply for the grant here.

If you have any questions about these grants, contact [email protected] for general questions or contact the primary point of contact listed on each grant application.

House Education and Labor Committee Marks Up Portion of Budget Reconciliation Package

UPDATE: The markup continued into September 10, and the full committee approved its portion of the Build Back Better Act, 28-22. Stay tuned to CTE Policy Watch for more details about next steps, including the timing of markups in the Senate. The full House will return on September 20. In the meantime, continue to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to include important investments in education and workforce development in the budget reconciliation bill, and to ensure all CTE programs are included! ACTE is calling on Congress to maintain the robust funding levels provided for these programs in the House Education and Labor Committee’s portion of the Build Back Better Act.

 

The House Education and Labor Committee began marking up its portion of the House’s $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill, known as the Build Back Better Act, on September 9. The Committee’s portion of the bill contains a total of $761 billion in new funding, and in a significant victory, $4 billion for career and technical education (CTE) programs through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V)! 

The bill also includes a significant number of other investments in programs or initiatives that could benefit CTE programs, students and institutions. Relevant components of the bill include: 

 

• Perkins Basic State Grant/Innovation and Modernization: $3 billion in funding through the Perkins Basic State Grant funding stream, with an additional $1 billion in funding for the existing Innovation and Modernization fund, for a total of $4 billion to be distributed through Perkins V. 

 

• Tuition-Free Community College: Beginning in financial aid year 2023-24, the bill provides two years of tuition-free community college for eligible students. 

 

• WIOA Allocations: $16 billion for dislocated worker employment and training; $15 billion for adult worker employment and training activities; $9.05 billion for youth workforce investment activities; $3.6 billion for carrying out ex-offender activities. 

 

• Registered Apprenticeships, Youth Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeships: $5 billion for grants, cooperative agreements, contracts or other arrangements to create or expand registered apprenticeship programs, youth apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. 

 

• Community College and Industry Partnerships Grants: $2 billion for grants to community colleges to expanding workforce development and employment opportunities in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors or occupations. 

 

• Industry or Sector Partnership Grants: $10 billion for competitive grants to partnerships to expand workforce development and employment opportunities for high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors or occupations, including information technology, clean energy, infrastructure and transportation, advanced manufacturing, public health home care and early childhood care and education. 

 

• Direct Care Workforce: $1.48 billion to award competitive grants to provide competitive wages, benefits, and other supportive services to direct care workers, and for the recruitment, retention and training of direct care workers. 

 

• Adult Basic Education: $3.6 billion to support adult education programs under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. 

 

• Rebuild America’s Schools Grant Program: $81 billion from FY 2022-24 for grants to state educational agencies (SEAs), with $39.6 billion awarded in each of FYs 2023 and 2024. Funds would be awarded to local educational agencies to create and implement facilities plans to address health, safety, educational equity, enrollment diversity, environmental sustainability and climate resiliency of public school facilities. 

 

• “Grow Your Own” programs: $197 million to address teacher shortages in high-need subjects and locations and to increase the diversity of the education workforce. 

 

• Retention and completion grants: $9 billion for retention and completion grants to institutions of higher education. 

 

• Pell Grants: increase the maximum aid amount by $500 per year through the 2029-30 school year. 

 

However, based on the definitions included in the draft legislation, area CTE centers (ATCs) have been left out of the free community college proposal in particular. In many states, these public, fully accredited institutions are the primary delivery of postsecondary CTE certificate programs, but because they do not grant associate degrees, ATCs would not be included in this important program. 

ACTE has sent a letter to Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) of the House Education and Labor Committee expressing concern over the exclusion of ATCs in the Committee’s portion of the Build Back Better Act, and is actively working with Congress to support these critical institutions.   

As this bill moves forward, it is important that CTE stakeholders continue to keep up the pressure on Members of Congress to include important investments in education and workforce development in the budget reconciliation bill, and to ensure all CTE programs are included! 

You can read the full text of the Committee’s print of the Build Back Better Act here. Stay tuned to the CTE Policy Watch blog for the latest developments impacting CTE during the budget reconciliation process!

House Workforce Development Subcommittee Hosts Hearing on WIOA Reauthorization and Youth Employment

On May 13, the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing titled, "WIOA Reauthorization: Creating Opportunities for Youth Employment" to highlight the need to create and improve youth employment opportunities.

This was the first in a series of hearings the Committee has announced it will hold related to reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), last updated in 2014.

Broadly, the bipartisan subcommittee members emphasized the positive benefits of work-based learning programs. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) asked Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend of Philadelphia Youth Network about the benefits of internships and apprenticeships. Fulmore-Townsend noted that work-based learning can expand social capital for youth, help them give back to their communities and inspire them to realize their potentials. Fielding a question from Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), she also elaborated that young people in Philadelphia CTE programs are supported through the WorkReady summer program, and that students are connected to the industries that they are studying through programs like WorkReady.

Businesses have also struggled with the impact of COVID-19 on workforce development. Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) spoke with Deb Lindner of North Carolina-based Precor about her company’s hiring challenges and partnerships during the pandemic. Lindner said that her business is trying to recover, but they have had to restart programs with their partners because of downsizing and furloughs within the company. Lindner also emphasized the benefits of short-term Pell Grants.

Several Members of Congress also spoke with the witnesses about taxpayer support of workforce development programs, the costs and benefits of postsecondary education and student support efforts within their organizations. You can watch the full subcommittee hearing here.

As more information surrounding WIOA reauthorization becomes available, CTE Policy Watch will have the details.

Research Round-up: Extending Pell Eligibility, Data on Prior Learning Assessment, Successful Strategies for a Prepared Workforce

Guided Pathways for Career and College Readiness: Guided pathways, a movement to redesign students’ journeys through postsecondary education to help achieve college completion and student success and to help close achievement gaps, is gaining momentum and is improving some student experiences, according to a new report from The Center for Community College Student Engagement. Approximately 300 community colleges used this program in the fall of 2019 as a tool to help students choose a program of study and prepare these students for college and career readiness. In the report, the researchers highlight that there are still several challenges with the programs, and understanding these gaps will help student achievement grow.

Benefits to Extending Pell Eligibility: The American Association of Community Colleges released a new report describing why community colleges should support extending Pell Grant eligibility to short-term programs. Researchers provide information on the financial benefits to students in both for-credit and non-credit short-term programs. Three case studies that focus on employment outcomes for short-term credentials in Virginia, Louisiana and Colorado are highlighted, as well as a case study in Iowa on the success of non-credit credentials, and a case study in Wisconsin on the financial benefit of short-term programs. 

Recommendations for Next Reauthorization of WIOA: Results for America encourages lawmakers to use data and other evidence to improve the outcomes for the national workforce system during the next reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), according to their new report, “Moneyball for Workforce Development”. To achieve their desired workforce outcomes, state and local governments need to use WIOA to regularly build, test and use data to know what is effective in WIOA grants and contracts; fund evidence-based interventions that have been proven to work; and ensure that evidence-based services are reaching unemployed and underemployed job seekers, current workers and businesses.

Measures of Holistic Success in Community College: Ithaka S+R released a new report, “Measuring the Whole Student: Landscape Review of Traditional and Holistic Approaches to Community College Student Success” and have found that traditional metrics of success for postsecondary institutions have not taken into account the various demographics of community college students nor their unique challenges. In the first report of the series, through the Holistic Measures of Student Success (HMSS) project, the researchers provide a review of how postsecondary metrics are prioritized, defined, quantified and used, and what is needed for a more holistic view to help identify and address gaps that students are experiencing at community colleges.

Labor Market Downturn Effects on Postsecondary Enrollment and Program Choice: A new report from the Education Finance and Policy journal uses the number of workers directly affected during mass layoffs as an indicator to define local labor demand during economic downturns and understand the effect on postsecondary enrollment and program choice. Some of the key findings in the report include an increase in two-year college enrollment, CTE course completion, and short-term certificates within previous mass layoffs. 

Lessons from Perkins IV in Oregon: Researchers studied participation and outcomes under Perkins IV in Oregon to help guide the implementation of the Perkins V updated state plan in a new report. Some of the findings show that participation and CTE concentrators increased overall, however, some disparities, such as by gender, economic disadvantage, special education status, and English learner status, persisted. CTE concentrators also were found to graduate from high school within four years at higher rates than non-concentrators, and had higher annual earnings. Based on these findings from Perkins IV, the researchers suggest recommendations for implementation of Perkins V to strengthen equity and access. 

Community Colleges Funding Shortfall: Community colleges receive $78 billion less than four-year colleges, according to a new report from the Center for American Progress. This gap in revenue makes it challenging for community colleges to have enough to spend on students’ success and wraparound services, even though the students going to community colleges have disproportionately higher needs and would benefit from more services provide by colleges, such as counselling and advising, child care and help with food and housing. The researchers encourage state and local officials to try and close the funding gap by providing equitable resources to two- and four-year institutions. 

Data on CTE Student Outcomes: A new report from the National Center on Education Statistics (IES) uses longitudinal data from graduates between 2012 and 2018 from Round Rock Independent School District in Texas to evaluate CTE student outcomes, including college enrollment, degree or certificate attainment, and employment, and the alignment between CTE programs and high-wage, in-demand career pathways. Graduation rates for students with one or more CTE study areas increased, and more than 80% of CTE graduates enrolled in a two- or four-year college or were employed within one year of graduating. The researchers also found over half of the CTE graduates completed course requirements that aligned with high-wage, in-demand career pathways.

Successful Strategies for a Prepared Workforce: The Southern Regional Education Board Commission on Strategic Partnerships for Work-Ready Students met to discuss promising practices to ensure students are prepared for the workforce. The Commission came up with 11 recommendations for states to adopt: 

• Strengthen business and industry partnerships in support of CTE.
• Prioritize funding to develop career pathways to in-demand jobs.
• Extend work-based learning to middle school.
• Include work-based learning in graduation requirements and school accountability ratings.
• Provide funding for compensation and liability for work-based learning placements.
• Provide funding for industry partnerships.
• Use incentives for employers to provide work-based learning opportunities.
• Increase wraparound services for career readiness.
• Utilize virtual solutions to expand work-based learning opportunities.
• Create a taskforce to identify, evaluate and approve industry certification examinations, technical skills assessments, dual credit courses and end-of-course assessments.
• Promote dual enrollment courses. 

Data on Post-College Outcomes for Graduates: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce has released a report based on data from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard to evaluate post-college outcomes for students a year after graduation, including earnings by credential broken down by individual states, colleges and majors. On average, workers with more education earn more money in the first year of employment. However there is overlap in median earning ranges across all levels of education. More than a quarter of those with an associate degree earn more than the median earnings of those with a bachelor’s degree. As in earlier research on this topic, researchers found that the type of degree rather than the level of the degree can be a better indicator of potential earnings. 

New Data on Prior Learning Assessment: A new report from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education finds that students with prior learning assessment (PLA) credits are more likely to complete academic programs compared to students without PLA credits. Program completion increases to 49% for adult students across all demographics compared to 27% completion for students without PLA credit, and PLA credit saves students time and money. However, Black students, Pell Grant recipients and students who live in lower-income communities were least likely to have participated in PLAs. 

Kentucky’s FAME Program Case Study: Opportunity America and Brookings published a case study on Kentucky’s Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) program, which offers paid apprenticeships to students for credential attainment. Researchers explored the outcomes of FAME graduates, such as postsecondary enrollment and employment, and found that FAME graduates were more likely to complete their program of study compared to non-FAME participants. FAME graduates also had higher earnings both during their first year post-graduation and five years after graduation. Also included in the report are data from FAME graduates on the dimensions of the program that were most important to them.

Student Progress and School Quality on 2018-19 State Report Cards: Due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Data Quality Campaign decided to postpone the annual Show Me the Data 2020 report and instead looked at indicators of student progress and school quality provided in states’ 2018–19 report cards. The researchers insist that states must continuously provide transparent data to families and communities on their report cards by constantly evaluating the chosen data tool’s ability to meet the needs of the audience and provide clear, understandable information about school quality and student progress. Both progress and challenges that states are facing with their school report cards are highlighted in the report. 

New Web Tables from Postsecondary Institutions: The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System has added new web tables including graduation rates for 2011-16, outcome measures for 2011-12, student financial aid in postsecondary institutions for 2018-19, and admissions in postsecondary institutions for fall 2019. Some key takeaways include: 21% of first-time, full-time students graduated in two years from a two-year postsecondary institution, 39% of first-time, full-time students graduated in four-years, and 44% of first-time, full-time students who received a Pell Grant completed a degree or certificate program. 

Pennsylvania CTE Funding Report: Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children released a report  on how CTE funding is structured in other states as well as recommendations for Pennsylvania to follow in order to be a leader in education for workforce preparedness. The report also recognizes the impact and challenges for CTE brought on by COVID-19. 

Top Five Competencies Sought by Employers: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce released new data on employers’ top five in-demand competencies across the labor market. The top five competences were chosen out of 120 knowledge, abilities and skills and the ones that were the most important are communication, teamwork, sales and customer service, leadership, and problem solving and complex thinking.