21st Century Workforce Partnerships Act

The 21st Century Workforce Partnerships Act creates two grant programs to strengthen connections between education and workforce development. It provides competitive grants to secondary schools for career pathways programs in high school or middle school, requiring partnerships with businesses and industry partners, and to colleges for programs leading to recognized credentials in high-demand fields. Both programs require matching funds from non-Federal sources, partnerships with employers, and alignment with existing workforce development strategies. The bill includes requirements for measuring job quality, employment outcomes, and program sustainability, with priority given to serving students with barriers to employment. It aims to improve educational pathways for students toward better employment opportunities in growing industries.