CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

Research Roundup: CTE at Community Colleges

Analysis of Community College Health Care Training Programs: The Community College Research Center at Columbia University recently published a report in which researchers used 2019-20 data from the U.S. Department of Education to examine community colleges’ contributions to the health care workforce.

The results showed that community colleges are responsible for much of the health care programs and graduates in allied health, nursing, mental health and clinical laboratory science. Additionally, researchers looked at the demographics of community colleges and earnings outcomes that students achieve upon completion. The following represent some of the most notable findings:

• Community colleges were cited as responsible for 76% of all postsecondary programs in mental/social health, 68% in allied health and 58% in practical nursing. They were also responsible for similar percentages of graduates in those programs across the postsecondary sector.
• Public health programs were noted for their diverse recruitment with Latinx and African American students comprising 22% and 20% of all graduates, respectively.
• For many health care programs, certificates are more common than longer-term awards.
• Median hourly wages vary by program and attainment level, with the highest wages associated with two-year degrees in dental support services.

Community Colleges: Achieving Their Potential for Workforce Development: A report recently published by the American Enterprise Institute analyzed the role of public community colleges in preparing learners to enter the workforce and meet labor demand.

Community colleges are facing many hurdles, including providing academic and career supports, purchasing equipment for in-demand fields, the lack of Pell Grant access for students in non-credit programs, and the transfer disconnect with four-year institutions, among other things. Researchers highlighted some of the following recommendations for policymakers and administrators to better support these institutions:

• Update recruitment and hiring practices to attract instructors with relevant industry experience.
• Use labor market information and employer engagement to improve labor market alignment and better integrate work-based learning with classroom instruction.
• Create flexible pathways and stackable opportunities in and among for-credit and non-credit programs.
• Invest in staff who specialize in building relationships with employers and community partners.

The publication highlights examples such as Project QUEST in San Antonio, Texas, which offers community college training that supports the certification of students in high-earnings fields such as health care, manufacturing and information technology as well as the Good Jobs Challenge, which has awarded $500 million in grants extending into 2027 to regional workforce training partnerships of industry, community colleges, training partners, community-based organizations and unions.

Strategies and Resources to Align Non-credit and Credit Programs: Education Strategy Group recently published a series of resources, which share research, strategies and examples of success aimed at supporting community colleges in the pursuit of more closely aligning non-credit workforce training and degree-focused credit programs. Despite this separation often being beneficial, having two different systems internally can cause content duplication, lack of communication, missed opportunities to build and collaborate and an inequitable student experience, particularly for non-credit students.

Researchers propose the following key tenets for framework alignment:

• Treat non-credit students the same as those in for-credit programs. Ensure every institutional decision or action is taken with both types of learners in mind.
• Do not make non-credit programs an educational dead end. Instead develop seamless transitions between non-credit programs and credentials and associate degree programs.
• Reorganize for joint leadership between non-credit and credit departments and be prepared to modify institutional curriculum development and design processes for better alignment.
• Ensure that industry-focused programs are credit worthy and credit based with bridge tools like credit matrices, articulation and equivalency agreements.

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Members of Congress to Oppose Cuts to Education and Workforce Programs in FY 2024!

On July 14, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill on a party-line vote. In some good news for CTE, the Perkins Basic State Grant is level funded in this bill. However, the bill reduces overall education funding, including rescissions to some funding that would become available to programs this fall and significant cuts to or complete eliminations of dozens of education and workforce programs, such as WIOA Youth and Adult programs, federal work-study, ESSA Title I and II and more.

The proposed cuts to major education and workforce development programs are deeply concerning, and will harm the ability of CTE programs to support learners and provide access to broader career and postsecondary opportunities. Education and workforce programs work hand-in-hand to develop a skilled workforce – CTE programs cannot be successful without the support of the entire system.

As the bill moves forward in the House and the Senate begins work on its bill as well, it is critical that Members of Congress understand the impact of these proposed cuts, and that you lend your voice in support of funding for the entire education and workforce development system.

ACTION NEEDED: CLICK HERE to tell your Members of Congress about the impact of proposed cuts to education and workforce programs in the FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill! 

You can send a message directly using the ACTE Action Center. You can also call or email directly any personal contacts that you have in your Members’ offices, such as from a meeting at NPS, or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and an operator will connect you to your Member of Congress.

House Subcommittee Appropriators Approve FY24 Education Funding Bill

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill, including funding for education and workforce development programs. The bill was approved by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies earlier today on a party-line vote. Unfortunately, because House leaders chose to develop appropriations bills at a much lower funding level than agreed to in the debt limit deal, this bill makes significant cuts across education and workforce programs. There are approximately 60 programs completely eliminated and another 50 programs with proposed reductions. Overall, the bill reduces funding 29% below the FY 2023 enacted level, and also includes recissions to prior funding.

In a small victory for CTE, the legislation “maintains career and technical training grants,” suggesting that the Perkins Basic State Grant should be level funded at FY 2023 levels.

However, while we appreciate the legislation’s recognition of sustaining current levels of federal investment in CTE via Perkins, we are extremely concerned about proposed cuts to other major education and workforce development programs elsewhere in the legislation. You can view our statement about the bill here.

Below are just a few of the funding cuts included in the bill that are most relevant:

Education Cuts/Eliminations

• 80% cut for Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Title I state grants to local education agencies
  • Note: Rescinds $8.7 billion of advance funding for Title I grants to states that would become available in Fall 2023 and could be used for the upcoming program year
• Eliminates funding for Magnet School program
• Eliminates funding for Teacher Quality Partnerships
• Eliminates funding for Federal Work-study Program
• Eliminates funding for ESSA Title II – Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants

Department of Labor Cuts/Eliminations

• Eliminates funding for Department of Labor WIOA Youth and cuts Adult training programs
• Eliminates funding for the Women’s Bureau
• Eliminates funding for Job Corps program
• Cuts Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) by $95 million

The bill now advances to consideration by the full House Appropriations Committee. We are still awaiting the date of the full committee markup, and we will continue to provide updates as the bill moves along in the appropriations process. Be on the lookout for an Action Alert next week to get involved and let Congress know that these massive cuts will have a negative impact on the broader education and workforce system, including CTE programs. You can view the full text of the bill here.

House Education and Workforce Committee Holds Hearing on Skills-Based Hiring

On June 22, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing titled “Competencies Over Degrees: Transitioning to a Skills-Based Economy.” The hearing was a response to what committee members described as an ongoing disconnect between employers and the skilled workforce.  

Those testifying on this matter were Dr. Karin Kimbrough, LinkedIn’s Chief Economist; Dr. Mark Smith, the Society for Human Resource Management’s Director of HR Thought Leadership; Dr. Papia Debroy, Senior Vice President of Insights for Opportunity@Work; and Mr. Dan Healey, SAP’s Head of People for Customer Success.  

The witnesses stated that high demand for skilled labor exists in many sectors, but many of these positions utilize bachelor’s degrees as proxy indicators of skill level, and therefore eliminate a large portion of the potential workforce. While continuing to emphasize the importance of post-secondary education, committee members questioned the witnesses on best practices to transition to alternative measurements of skill. Chairwoman Virgina Foxx (R-NC) stated: “The old ways of developing talent are not working for today’s economy.”  

Dr. Karin Kimbrough shared that LinkedIn’s research found that when shifting to a skills-first hiring approach, the number of qualified eligible workers increased by nearly 20 times. With an estimated 1.6 unfilled positions for every unemployed individual, Kimbrough suggested to the committee that skills-based hiring allows employers to satisfy their demand for skilled labor.  

Along with echoing these arguments, Dr. Mark Smith presented the effectiveness of pre-employment assessments to gauge skill levels. When questioned about how to best facilitate transitioning to skills-based hiring, he encouraged the committee to incentivize and support employers in their use of these assessments.  

Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), citing his role as co-chair of the House CTE Caucus, questioned the witnesses on how CTE programs specifically can connect skilled students to employers. Mr. Dan Healey stated that developing relationships between employers and administrators of these programs would allow students to develop skills aligned with local employment needs.  

Throughout the hearing, the committee, supported by recommendations from the witnesses, enthusiastically committed to bipartisan efforts to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and expand its reach to those not previously touched by its programs through specifically implementing a skill-based hiring approach.  

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.