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Posts Tagged ‘business and industry partnerships’

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Department’s Perkins Reauthorization Proposal Raises Questions and Concerns

Friday, April 20th, 2012

Yesterday Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and OVAE Assistant Secretary Brenda Dann-Messier unveiled Investing in America’s Future: A Blueprint for Transforming Career and Technical Education at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa. This Blueprint outlines the Obama Administration’s plan for reauthorizing the Perkins Act, and revolves around the following four themes:

  1. Alignment: Effective alignment between high-quality CTE programs and labor market needs to equip students with 21st-century skills and prepare them for in-demand occupations in high-growth industry sectors;
  2. Collaboration:  Strong collaborations among secondary and postsecondary institutions, employers, and industry partners to improve the quality of CTE programs;
  3. Accountability: Meaningful accountability for improving academic outcomes and building technical and employability skills in CTE programs for all students, based upon common definitions and clear metrics for performance; and
  4. Innovation:  Increased emphasis on innovation supported by systemic reform of state policies and practices to support CTE implementation of effective practices at the local level.

 

While we support the themes encompassed in the Blueprint, we worry that the details related to each of these areas could have an adverse affect on CTE programs. For example, the proposal to award funds to consortia on a competitive basis could result in decreased, inequitable student access to high-quality CTE programs. You can read our joint statement with ACTE here. We will provide more detailed analysis in the coming days.

For more information from the Department of Education, you can access a summary of the Blueprint, as well as their press release.

 Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Legislation, Public Policy
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Legislative Update: Appropriations, Bills Introduced

Friday, April 6th, 2012

Congress is on recess this week and next for the Easter and Passover holidays. They will reconvene on Monday April 16, 2012.

 

Dear Colleague Letters Call for Investment in Perkins

Members of both the House and Senate have signed on to “Dear Colleague” letters, asking the appropriators in their respective chambers to invest in Perkins during the FY13 appropriations process. The Senate letter, authored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (CT), was signed by 22 Senators. In the House, the letter was authored by Reps. Glenn Thompson (PA) and Jim Langevin (RI), and was signed by a total of 65 Representatives.

At a time when Congress is looking to cut spending in all areas, letters such as these show appropriators the level of support among members for individual programs. While it is hard to predict what will happen with funding for any programs this year, we hope that these letters will resonate with the Appropriations Committees and will stave off further cuts to Perkins.

Bills Introduced

Rebuild America Act

Senator Tom Harkin (IA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has introduced S. 2252, the Rebuild America Act, aimed at restoring the middle class through investments in education, infrastructure and job training, and changes to the tax code. Among other things, the bill would:

 

 Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

 

By admin in Legislation, Public Policy
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Webinars Focus on New CTE Courses, Global Partnership Strategies

Monday, March 26th, 2012

Our partners at the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) this week  is inviting the CTE community to join in on two free webinars. The webinars will offer insight into new developments in CTE courses and global partnership strategies.

Project Management for CTE—Life Skill, Job Skill, Certification Skill (Mar. 27 at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT): This webinar shares the latest in the development of PMforCTE, an initiative connected to one of the newest approved CTE courses in the state of Washington. Beginning with a pilot high school class involving Rotary and local businesses and a state-level program advisory committee, PMforCTE is responding to current learning needs driven by industry demand and the importance of 21st-century skills. Stakeholders will share their experiences implementing PMforCTE in a pre-engineering classroom, a summer work training program and a Jobs for America’s Graduates program. Register for this free event now.

Partnering for Global Impact—A Case Study in Success (Mar. 28 at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT): Learn lessons on how to build global partnerships from this case study on workforce development, international connectivity with community and technical colleges and industry. Join ACTE for a case-study webinar on how a group of CTE providers worked with business partners and educational organizations to train automotive instructors in Morocco. The webinar will explain how administrators, instructors and leaders from Gateway Technical College, Shoreline Community College, Snap-on Inc., ACTE, BEPG Inc. and the National Coalition of Certification Centers, along with a school in Morocco, are working toward common goals. You can register now for this free presentation.

Erin Uy, Communications & Marketing Manager

By admin in News, Research, Webinars
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New Round of Community College Grants Now Open

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced a solicitation for a new round of grant applications for the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Grant Program. The announcement was made with Second Lady Jill Biden during the “Community College to Career” bus tour at Davidson County Community College in North Carolina.

Congress allocated $2 billion for the TAACCCT program to be awarded in each of fiscal years 2011-2014. This round will fund up to $500 million in grants to community colleges for targeted training and workforce development to help dislocated workers obtain the skills they need to change careers. The grants support partnerships between community colleges and employers to develop programs that provide career pathways and build instructional programs that meet industry needs. The deadline to apply is May 24, 2012.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Public Policy
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Rebuilding America’s Schools Act Could Provide Funding for CTE Schools

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

There are two bills moving through Congress that, if passed, would provide funding for school renovation and repair. Rep. Charles Rrangel (NY) and Sen. John D. Rockefeller (WV) have introduced H.R. 2394 and S. 796, respectively. These two bills, also known as the Rebuilding America’s Schools Act, would extend funding for the qualified school construction bond program and the national limitation amounts for bonds issued under the qualified zone academy bond (QZAB) program through 2015. The amount of funding proposed in these bills is $1.4 billion. If the bills are not passed, funding will expire on December 31 of this year.

These competitive programs provide schools districts with noninterest-bearing bonds that can be used for school renovations and repairs as well as other improvements. The school district must pay the principal back within 15 years. A 10 percent match is required from a business or nonprofit partner which can be in cash or in-kind donations. The match partner works with the school district to set up a QZAB Academy that “prepares students for college or workforce.”

Schools are eligible for funds if 35 percent or more of students are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals or if the school is located in an enterprise community or empowerment zone. The funds provide an opportunity for CTE schools that meet this criteria to update and renovate buildings as well as invest in equipment and up-to-date technology.

To voice your support for these bills, contact the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak to the majority staff on the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Ways and Means Committee.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Legislation
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Legislative Update: Job Training Hearing, Jobs Plans

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

House Holds Job Training Hearing
On Tuesday the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a field hearing entitled, “Examining Local Solutions to Strengthen Federal Job Training Programs” in Las Vegas, Nevada. The hearing focused on the challenges facing the state and local economies, the role of job training services in providing greater career opportunities, and the need to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act. During the hearing, Leroy Walker, Vice President for Human Resources at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals said, “Training needs within healthcare are complex and have resulted in the need for organizations to ensure that staff is trained appropriately. Additionally, the partnering with various educational systems to ensure that their curriculum is in alignment with our needs has become more necessary than ever. As we each find the need for more and more healthcare, we must find a better more efficient way to ensure that staff is appropriately trained and prepared to provide the care we need.”

House Introduces Jobs Plan
Jobs are the top priority of both Congress and the Administration as Congress returns to Washington next week after a month-long recess. House Republicans announced their jobs plan on Monday. Central to this plan will be an effort to eliminate ten “job-destroying” regulations and tax relief for businesses. President Obama is scheduled to announce his own jobs plan next week, but it is unclear whether his package will include tax cuts, tax increases, additional stimulus spending, or some combination of all three.

Bills Introduced:

Local Jobs for America Act
Last week, Rep. George Miller (CA), Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee reintroduced H.R. 2828, the Local Jobs for America Act. The bill is similar to the bill he introduced during the last Congress. The bill will provide funds to local communities to hire individuals for public sector jobs. Funding would go directly to eligible local communities and nonprofit community organizations to decide how best to use the funds. The bill would also fund a $23 billion education jobs fund. In addition to public sector jobs, the bill would also fund approximately 50,000 private-sector positions, and would allow workers to obtain on the job training.

Nancy Conneely, Public Policy Manager

By admin in Legislation, Public Policy
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Legislative Update: AMERICA Works, 21st Century Careers, Every Student Counts, Financial Literacy, Middle Schools

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

Amid all of the budget action over the last few weeks, Congress has also introduced a number of bills that may be of interest.

AMERICA Works Act

Rep. Joe Donnelly (IN) introduced H.R. 1325, the AMERICA Works Act, which would require that certain Federal job training and career education programs give a priority to programs that provide an recognized and nationally portable credential. This bill is similar to the one introduced by Sen. Kay Hagan (NC) last session. The bill would amend Perkins such that state plans would describe how the eligible agency would give priority to programs of study that lead to a skills credential that is in high demand in the area served and listed in the registry described in the AMERICA Works Act.

Providing Innovation to 21st Century Careers Act

Sen. Patty Murray (WA) introduced S. 830, the Providing Innovation to 21st Century Careers Act, to establish partnerships to create or enhance educational and skills development pathways to 21st century careers. The bill would fund $912 million in competitive grants to be used by state and regional partnerships to help students graduate high school and enter postsecondary education or a skilled career. State and regional partnerships would include representatives from secondary, postsecondary, business, labor, workforce, and economic development organizations. These partnerships would develop career pathways for high school students that include counseling, mentoring, work-based experiences, and support to obtain degrees, apprenticeships, and other postsecondary credentials.

Every Student Counts Act

Sen. Tom Harkin (IA) introduced S.767, the Every Student Counts Act . The goal of the bill is to improve the calculation of, reporting of, and accountability for high school graduation rates. The bill would also give credit to schools, districts and states for graduating students in more than four years, as long as they graduate the majority of all students in four years. The bill also provides incentives for schools, districts and states to create programs to serve students who have already dropped out of school, are over-age or under credited. The Every Student Counts Act builds on the National Governors Association’s Graduation Rate Compact that was signed by all 50 of the nation’s governors in 2005. Rep. Bobby Scott (VA) introduced companion bill, H.R. 1419, in the House.

Financial and Economic Literacy Improvement Act

Sen. Patty Murray (WA) introduced S. 787, the Financial and Economic Literacy Improvement Act, which aims to provide grants to promote financial literacy for students and adults. The grants would provide funding to states for resources to teach financial literacy in K-12 schools and 2-and 4-year colleges. The bill also proposes a clearinghouse of resources, tools, and best practices for financial and economic literacy education.

Success in the Middle Act

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) introduced S. 833, the Success in the Middle Act, which would fund grants for states to help school districts improve low-performing middle schools. The grants would be used for early intervention systems for at-risk youth, transition programs between elementary, middle, and high school, professional development, extended learning time, and personal academic plans. While the bill does not specifically mention CTE, there does seem to be a clear connection between the purposes of this bill and the work being done by the CTE community.

By admin in Legislation
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Legislative Update: Appropriations, SECTORS Act

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Congress Still Negotiating on Long Term Funding Bill

With just one week left to work out a deal before the current continuing resolution expires and the government shuts down, Congress is still trying to find a middle ground that they can agree on regarding cuts. As of Thursday evening, it was being reported that House Republicans and Senate Democrats are close to striking a deal that would cut $33 billion from current spending levels, but nothing had yet been agreed to.

SECTORS Act

This week, Senators Sherrod Brown (OH) and Olympia Snowe (ME) introduced S. 665, the Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act. This bill would promote job creation by preparing workers with education and training tailored for jobs in high-growth industry sectors—like biosciences, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing—in regions across the country by supporting partnerships between businesses, unions, educators, and the public workforce system. Representatives Dave Loebsack (IA) and Todd Platts (PA) introduced companion legislation in the House.

“Workforce development and job creation go hand-in-hand. Even in this time of high unemployment, I’ve heard from Ohio companies in high-growth industries who say they’re ready to hire but can’t find workers with the specialized skills needed to fill the position,” Senator Brown said. “We need to do a better job of creating tailoring workforce development programs to meet the demands of these 21st-century industries. The SECTORS Act creates partnerships between educators, industry, and workforce training boards to ensure that workers have the right skills to get hired in high-tech, good-paying jobs. And by ensuring a skilled, local workforce, we can attract clusters of employers in high-growth industries.”

By admin in Legislation
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Business and Industry Sign on in Support of Tech Prep

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

Yesterday NASDCTEc, along with ACTE, AACC, and the Council of Chief State School Officers, sent a letter to the Senate signed by 168 businesses, employer groups and national organizations that voiced their support for maintaining Tech Prep funding. This tremendous show of support should go a long way in letting the Senate know that Perkins, and Tech Prep in particular, is vital to ensuring that the next generation of skilled workers is trained and ready to fill the jobs offered by these businesses.

If a business or businesses from your state signed on to the letter, please be sure to let them know how much you appreciate their support!

By admin in Legislation
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Career Technical Education and Business Partners: Bridging Education and the Economy

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

As the economy continues to see an overall downturn, industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and energy are experiencing growth. This growth is being hindered due to the lack of qualified and skilled workers. In order to create a competitive workforce it is imperative that we align our education, workforce and economic development systems.

A new issue brief, Career Technical Education and Business Partners: Bridging Education and the Economy, spotlights NOVA Community College and State Farm Insurance – two exemplary examples of education-employer partnerships within the career technical education (CTE) community. This issue brief is the second of a five-part series reflecting our association’s vision for CTE in preparing all students to enter into the global economy. Business and industry partnerships represent one of the overarching themes within the five core principles of our vision for CTE.

NOVA Community College and State Farm Insurance are examples of how education-employer partnerships are beneficial to the development of our future workforce and the preparation of students within CTE programs. By cultivating these partnerships, business and industry are able to work with high schools and community colleges to provide insight into their fields and help build a rigorous curriculum to fully prepare students to enter into the workforce.

By admin in Publications
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