TWEET OF THE WEEK
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! For months, we've been scouring the country for places making opportunity for high schoolers and businesses through youth #apprenticeship. We are SO proud to finally announce the #PAYA Network! You’ll want to see the nine grantees here: https://t.co/hKrSFf9p6w pic.twitter.com/rt3KV6RK1E
— New America Ed (@NewAmericaEd) May 29, 2019
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE WEEK
Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship Network and Grantees Announced
The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) is excited to announce the nine outstanding grantees and introduce the PAYA Network. Working with PAYA, these sites will launch and expand high-quality youth apprenticeship programs across the country. Read the press release to here learn more!
New Higher Education Experimental Sites Initiatives Announced
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos shared details about new and updated higher education Experimental Sites Initiatives. The Experimental Sites Initiatives is authorized under the Higher Education Act to pilot and evaluate proposed changes in policy. Through each initiative, the Education Department waives the statutory or regulatory federal student aid requirements relative to that initiative for a limited number of institutions in order to test the effectiveness of that new program. This announcement included the expansion of the Second Chance Pell program, which allows incarcerated individuals to access Pell Grants, by providing an opportunity for additional institutions to apply for inclusion.
Learn more here.
To make sure you get the latest news and resources about federal policy that affects Career Technical Education (CTE), sign up for our Legislative Updates!
Rural Community College Grant Application Convenings
This summer the U.S. Department of Education and the American Association of Community Colleges will be co-hosting three convenings designed to help rural community colleges identify, plan, and design projects for federal grant applications. Activities will include facilitated workshops and information from federal agencies with upcoming grant opportunities. These convenings will take place at the following locations:
- June 6–7 at Gateway Technical College, Racine, Wisconsin;
- July 18–19 at Lakes Region Community College, Laconia, New Hampshire; and
- September 12–13 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Biloxi, Mississippi.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Check out this video of U.S. Congressman for Rhode Island’s Second District speaking about the importance of CTE in regards to building and maintaining our country’s infrastructures. He noted research from the Brookings Institute that stated nearly three million skilled workers will be needed to support this work over the next decade. He asked for congressional leadership to prioritize workforce development in future legislation relevant to this topic crediting CTE as the strategy to use to help train the future workforce. Watch the video here.
Interested in advocating for CTE? Consider sharing the Double the Investment in CTE campaign. If you’re a business you can sign on here.
RESOURCE OF THE WEEK
Putting Pell Grants to Work for Working Students
In this report, the National Skills Coalition outlines policy recommendations and encourages Congress to recognize the important role of community and technical colleges in equipping working students and businesses with the credentials and skills needed in today’s economy. It also describes how increasing Pell eligibility for learners enrolled in short-term credential programs could help address the demand for qualified workers to fill “middle-skill” jobs. The report concludes with case studies highlighting Iowa and Virginia’s efforts to increase access to short-term programs through the GAP Tuition Assistance Program and New Economy Workforce Grant Program, respectively.
Read the report here.