Last week in Washington, both chambers of Congress were in session and several CTE-related items saw legislative action, including the America COMPETES Act/USICA, where the conference committee met for the first time, and a bill to support CTE program graduates in small businesses. Other subjects at the top of Congress’s priorities last week included confirming the Federal Reserve chairman to an additional term, negotiating a supplemental aid package for Ukraine, COVID-19 restaurant and entertainment recovery aid and security assistance for Supreme Court justices. This week, both chambers will be in session to hold votes and hearings. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is set to testify on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget request for the Department of Labor, while reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is expected to be considered on the House floor. Here are some news and notes to start your week:
- House Holds Hearing on Aviation and Aerospace Workforce: On May 12, the House Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development held a hearing on the innovation and workforce needs of the aviation and aerospace industries. While this hearing spoke broadly of the challenges that aviation and aerospace small businesses are facing, CTE and apprenticeships were consistently highlighted as critical to their health and success. Read more about the hearing here.
- Department of Education Announces Presidential CTE Scholars: On May 12, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced the 58th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, which recognizes 161 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, arts and CTE. 20 outstanding CTE scholars were recognized this year. Learn more about the award winners here.
- Bill to Support CTE Graduates Passed by House Small Business Committee: H.R. 7664, the Supporting Small Business and Career and Technical Education Act, passed out of the House Small Business Committee on May 13. The bill will assist small businesses in hiring graduates from CTE programs and assist graduates with additional support to start their own businesses. ACTE has endorsed this legislation.
- Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Allotments, Application Process for Workforce Investment Programs: The Department of Labor announced that the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has issued guidance to inform states and outlying areas about their formula allotments and the process to apply for WIOA Youth, Adult and Dislocated Worker activities, Wagner-Peyser and Workforce Information Grants for the start of the program year on July 1, 2022. View the guidance here and a PDF on submitting Federal Register comments here.
- Department of Labor Announces Funding to Support Women in Registered Apprenticeships: The Department of Labor has announced $3.4 million in funding for up to nine grants to attract and keep women in registered apprenticeship programs in industries where women are underrepresented, such as manufacturing, infrastructure, cybersecurity and healthcare. Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration and Women’s Bureau, the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grant program supports community-based organizations in their efforts to recruit, train and retain more women in Registered Apprenticeships and nontraditional occupations. Apply for the grants here.
- America COMPETES/USICA Conference Update: On May 12, over 100 Members of Congress began the formal conference committee negotiations to resolve differences between the House-passed America COMPETES Act and the Senate’s version of the bill, known as the USICA. The legislation is designed to boost semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and improve economic competitiveness with China. The America COMPETES Act contains two of ACTE’s top legislative priorities, the College Transparency Act (CTA) and language similar to the JOBS Act. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said the bill would help “build a strong and diverse” scientific and technological workforce and “make use of all the brainpower and talent we have.”