Workforce Pell Rulemaking Reaches Consensus
This week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) convened a negotiated rulemaking session named the Accountability in Higher Education and Access through Demand-driven Workforce Pell (AHEAD) Committee. The committee focused its efforts this week on developing new rules for Workforce Pell grants, as previously reported.
Earlier today, the committee reached consensus on draft regulations to implement this new program ahead of the related statutory implementation deadline of July 1, 2026.
Broadly, the new rules closely adhere to the statutory requirements of the newly enacted Workforce Pell grant program while leaving key process decisions to the states. Advance CTE is continuing to analyze the proposal. ED is expected to publish these rules sometime early next year, which will be the next step in the wider rulemaking process for the new program.
The AHEAD Committee will also convene again in January to discuss further rulemaking related to new accountability provisions applicable to all Title-IV eligible postsecondary programs. Advance CTE will continue to closely monitor these negotiations and subsequent materials as these efforts continue to take shape.
Federal Appropriations Update
The next key federal funding deadline is January 30, 2026, when current, short-term funding is set to expire, including for programs overseen by ED, such as the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V). This week, Congressional efforts on the remaining fiscal year 2026 (FY26) appropriations bills remained stalled, with lawmakers signaling that there may not be enough time to advance further measures before the holiday recess starting at the end of next week, leaving large portions of the federal government operating under the temporary funding provided by last month’s continuing resolution (CR). There is still interest in packaging multiple bills for consideration, especially in the Senate, but lawmakers have largely been focused on votes related to healthcare subsidy extensions – part of the deal that Senate Democrats struck to reopen the government earlier this fall.
Advance CTE will continue to monitor the FY26 outlook and advocate for greater investments in Career Technical Education (CTE) and other federal education and workforce development efforts. View the current appropriations status table here.
House Education & Workforce Committee Hearing on Learning and Employment Records
On Wednesday, the House Education & Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing titled “Building a Talent Marketplace: How LERs Empower Workers and Expand Opportunity.” The session focused on how Learning Employment Records (LERs) help connect workers with employers and improve labor market outcomes. Witnesses from higher education, credentialing, and workforce data organizations shared perspectives on the benefits of LERs for job matching and skills recognition. In particular, the hearing emphasized the importance of formalizing the use of standardized, open, linked, and interoperable (SOLD) data standards to facilitate these and other skills-based hiring initiatives.
Click here to watch the House hearing and access testimony documents.
Senate Holds Hearing on Career Pathways and CTE
The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Subcommittee on Education & the American Family held a hearing this week to explore strategies to strengthen CTE and workforce development to meet modern economic needs. Witnesses included Chelle Travis, SkillsUSA’s Executive Director, and Luke Rhine, former Acting Assistant Secretary for ED’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE), alongside community college and industry leaders. The discussion focused on the importance of CTE, work-based learning, and closing the skills gap. Witnesses emphasized the critical importance of strengthening investments in Perkins V’s state grant program and of updating and modernizing national apprenticeship legislation.
Democrats on the panel continued to sharply criticize recent Trump administration efforts to transfer day-to-day administrative responsibilities for CTE from ED to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, shared her views as part of the panel, saying in part, “This is not saving money. It is not reducing bureaucracy. It is increasing chaos. DOL is already charging [Secretary] McMahon over a million additional dollars to now do the CTE work her employees were doing.”
Republicans, meanwhile, focused on the importance of expanding pathways connecting education to employment opportunities in high-demand fields, alternatives to four-year degree pathways, dual enrollment, and the broader impact of artificial intelligence on the economy and labor market.
Click here to watch the Senate hearing and access testimony documents.
Henry Mack Nomination Moves Toward Confirmation
The nomination of Henry Mack III to serve as the next Assistant Secretary of Labor has cleared key procedural hurdles in the U.S. Senate this week and has been included in a package of nominations expected to receive a floor vote next week. Upon expected confirmation, Mack – Florida’s former State CTE Director– will lead DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the agency responsible for administering federal workforce development programs, including Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants, apprenticeship programs, unemployment insurance, and trade adjustment assistance. Mack was nominated by President Trump earlier this year, as reported previously.
Upcoming Briefing on Trump Administration Workforce Plan
Next week, on December 17, 2025, ED and DOL are hosting a virtual discussion titled “Building the Workforce for the Golden Age: A Conversation with Federal Leaders.” The session will focus on shaping the future labor force and addressing challenges related to talent pipelines in a changing economy, and will aim to inform workforce policy and practice by exploring approaches to preparing workers for in-demand occupations. This conversation serves as a follow-up to the previously released workforce report, which fulfilled a White House directive for DOL, ED, and other workforce agencies to report on opportunities for collaboration. Click here to register for the briefing.
WIOA Training and Employment Guidance Letter
Last month, DOL issued a Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) that provides new guidance, reiterating the flexibilities available to states under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for waiver requests. The guidance encourages expanded use of waivers and flexible practices to modernize services, remove barriers, and better connect job seekers with employers. It reflects the administration’s priority to align workforce programs with other strategic priorities. The document urges state workforce agencies and local partners to review current policies and work with the Employment Training Administration (ETA) to implement approaches that enhance service delivery and outcomes. Click here to read the guidance.
Odds and EDs
- ED awarded $208 million to expand school-based mental health services nationwide. The grants aim to grow the pipeline of qualified mental health professionals and support high-need districts. Click here to read more about the awards.
- ED launched a new earnings indicator as part of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to show typical post-graduation earnings for specific colleges and programs. The tool is intended to help learners and families compare options and make more informed decisions. Click here to read more about the indicator.
- ED opened a Request For Information (RFI) to gather input on updating the Department’s Accreditation Handbook. Click here to read about the RFI.
- ED announced a proposed agreement with Missouri to end the blocked SAVE student loan repayment plan. The settlement would halt new enrollments and transition borrowers to existing, legally permissible repayment options, with potential nationwide impacts. Click here to read the announcement.
