This week, Advance CTE joined the Committee for Education Funding (CEF) to advocate for an increased federal investment in education. Read below to learn more about CEF Hill Day, a hearing on apprenticeship models and the new postsecondary post filled in the U.S. Department of Education.
CEF Visits 41 Congressional Offices to Advocate for Education Funding
CEF, of which Advance CTE is on the Board of Directors, held its annual Hill Day on July 17. CEF members spanning the education continuum met with a collective 41 congressional offices of both parties in the House and the Senate. In these meetings CEF representatives advocated for an increase in education funding, which currently makes up less than 2 percent of the federal budget. Check out #CEFHillDay on Twitter to see some of the offices that were visited.
House Holds Hearing on International Apprenticeship Models
On July 16, the House Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee held a hearing on “Scaling Up Apprenticeships: Building on the Success of International Apprenticeship Models.”
In their opening remarks, both Subcommittee Chair Susan Davis (D-CA) and Ranking Member Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) discussed the need for innovative apprenticeship models that provide students with academic skills and work-based learning experience.
Witnesses shared apprenticeship models in Australia, Germany and Switzerland, and included:
- Tim Bradley, Minister Counsellor for Industry, Science and Education, Embassy of Australia;
- Silvia Annen, Ph.D., Senior Researcher, Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training; and
- Simon Marti, Ph.D., Head of Office, SwissCore.
Though the apprenticeship model for each country is different, all reiterated common themes for success, such as: employer engagement throughout the entire process; public-private partnerships; affordability of programs by shared investment across partners; and high standards for quality. The group also agreed that the apprentices are not expected to remain in one life-long occupation, but should be able to find career success in different jobs and industries.
The opening statement from Chairwoman Davis and the testimony from each witness can be found here.
Senate Confirms Higher Education Post
On July 11, the Senate confirmed Robert L. King as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education. King’s nomination passed on a 56-37 vote. Previously, King was the president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. He has also served as president and CEO of the Arizona Community Foundation and chancellor of the State University of New York system.
The announcement and statement from the Department can be found here.
Meredith Hills, Policy Associate