This week, the House passed a continuing resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) government funding. Read below to learn what this means for Career Technical Education (CTE) funding, as well as the House Committee on Education and Labor markup of the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 and the new Rethink Adult Ed Challenge.
House Passes CR for FY21
Late Tuesday, the House passed a CR (H.R. 8337) that would extend government funding through December 11, 2020. This bill extends funding for all 12 appropriations subcommittees, including Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS-Ed), which covers education and workforce development funding. As is typical with a CR, federal funding for all education programs would remain level through the duration of this legislation. A section-by-section summary of this bill can be found here. Next, the Senate will vote on this CR. As a reminder, government funding for the current fiscal year expires on September 30, 2020.
House Committee Marks Up National Apprenticeship Act of 2020
On Thursday, the House Committee on Education and Labor marked up and passed the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020, a comprehensive reauthorization of the National Apprenticeship Act. In his opening remarks, Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) discussed the role that apprenticeships will play in economic recovery during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott shared that per the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), 95 percent of registered apprenticeship participants find employment upon completion of the program with an average annual salary of $70,000. This bill would:
- Authorize $400 million for FY21, increasing by $100 million every year up to $800 million in FY25;
- Codify and streamline standards for registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeships;
- Codify existing regulations and practices for equitable participation and increased diversity in apprenticeship programs;
- Codify the roles and responsibilities of the DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship;
- Codify the roles and responsibilities of the State Apprenticeship Agencies (SAAs); and
- Strengthen the connection between the DOL and U.S. Department of Education (ED).
Advance CTE is pleased to endorse the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020. You can watch the full mark up here. A fact sheet on the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 can be found here, a section-by-section summary here and the full bill text here.
ED Announces Rethink Adult Ed Challenge
As part of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, ED announced the new Rethink Adult Ed Challenge that will expand pre-apprenticeship opportunities for adult learners. This challenge will award prizes totaling $750,000 to support programs funded by the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act to create innovative and high-quality pre-apprenticeships in any industry across the United States. Eligible providers- including but not limited to community colleges, correctional facilities, libraries and community-based organizations- can submit Stage 1 applications by 11:59 p.m. ET on November 25, 2020. A virtual information session will take place on October 15, 2020.
Meredith Hills, Policy Associate