Sponsors
The bill substantially expands affordable, employer-aligned CTE access and local training capacity—helping many students obtain credentials and jobs—while increasing federal spending and imposing significant administrative, matching, and equity risks that could leave some high-need communities behind or narrow students' educational options.
Students — especially low-income, rural, and other underserved students — gain much greater and more affordable access to career and technical education (CTE) through new grants, a CTE Pell-style aid program, expanded dual enrollment, apprenticeships, and virtual/hybrid options, reducing out-of-pocket costs and time to a credential.
Students and employers benefit from stronger alignment between CTE programs and local labor-market needs — via triennial workforce assessments, employer partnerships, and credentialing — increasing students' chances of job placement and creating a larger pipeline of skilled workers for local employers.
States and communities can expand hands-on training capacity — through funding to build/renovate CTE high schools and regional career centers and through teacher/instructor professional development — improving local infrastructure and instructional quality for workforce training.
Taxpayers and the federal budget face increased costs because the bill creates new federal spending streams (including a CTE Pell-style program and grant funding) unless fully offset by appropriations or reallocation.
State and local education agencies, colleges, and schools will face substantial administrative and matching burdens (application processes, multi-year plans, workforce assessments, reporting, and high non‑Federal share requirements), straining capacity and budgets.
High-need states, rural districts, and low-resource schools risk being left behind because competitive grant structures, significant non-Federal match requirements, and state-defined 'in-demand' program lists can limit access to funding and programs.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Creates a competitive federal grant program to expand secondary CTE (including online/hybrid models) and establishes CTE Pell Grants to help eligible secondary students pay for credentials, apprenticeships, and technical coursework.
Introduced September 19, 2025 by Adam Smith · Last progress September 19, 2025
Creates a federal program to help states build, expand, and modernize career and technical education (CTE) for secondary students. It establishes a competitive grant program for State educational agencies to fund new or renovated CTE high schools, regional career centers, curriculum and teacher training, internships/apprenticeships, dual‑enrollment credit transfer, and virtual/hybrid CTE programs; requires workforce‑alignment planning and equity/access measures; and sets up a new “CTE Pell Grant” program to help eligible public secondary students pay for credentialing, apprenticeships, dual‑enrollment technical coursework, and related training. Grants must be competitively awarded (with geographic diversity), generally run up to five years, and the Secretary must set cost‑share rules and regulations within set timeframes.