U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) has introduced bipartisan legislation that would provide federal support to eligible entities that establish, redesign or expand job training programs aimed at giving economically disadvantaged students a leg up in high-demand, high-skills careers.
“Nelson Mandela once said: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ His words ring true today—education can change a person’s life and the community they call home,” Rep. MacArthur said in a March 7 statement.
U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) joined MacArthur on March 1 in introducing the bipartisan Technical Education Creates High-Paying Careers Act of 2018, or TECH Careers Act, H.R. 5146. The proposal would direct federal funding to technical and community colleges that partner with private industry on job training programs. H.R. 5146 would establish the American Technical Training Grant Program to fund such endeavors, among other purposes, according to text of the proposed bill.
“The program, created by this bipartisan legislation, will give low-income children and adults the opportunity to learn a new skill and put them on a path to improve their own lives, while providing trained workers for rapidly growing industries in their communities,” MacArthur said. “We must equip young people with the tools they need to become productive members of the workforce and this legislation will do just that.”
If enacted, H.R. 5146 would authorize the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, to develop and implement the new grant program, which would award competitive grants to institutions of higher education (IHE), or a consortium of IHEs, that offer career and technical education programs that can be completed within two years or less, according to the text of the bill.
Selection criteria for such grants would include serving a large proportion of participants from economically disadvantaged families, providing training for an industry sector or occupation in high demand, and demonstrating that a high percentage of job training program participants would be able to secure employment after completing the program, according to the text of the bill.
Rep. Esty said H.R. 5146 would help more Americans earn a postsecondary certificate or a two-year degree. “Our bipartisan TECH Careers Act will give Americans an opportunity to obtain job training and technical education, which in turn will help small businesses in Connecticut find the talented, capable workers they need to grow and thrive,” she said.
The bill already has support from several community college leaders, including in MacArthur’s home state district where Christopher Nagy, superintendent of the Burlington County Institute of Technology and the Burlington County Special Services School District in New Jersey, thanked the congressman for being an advocate to create a “grant program that will help low-income youth and adults enter into a career path that will ultimately improve their lives.”
Walter Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, said the bill also would provide community colleges with “vital support to develop and expand career pathway programs, especially for economically disadvantaged students.”
H.R. 5146 has been referred to the House Education and the Workforce Committee.