The Leveraging Educational Opportunity Networks Act creates a federal grant program to fund workforce training initiatives targeting workers without bachelor’s degrees, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, rural communities, historically disadvantaged groups, and formerly incarcerated individuals. Eligible organizations - such as non-profits, national training groups, and accredited institutions - would receive competitive grants to develop 12-week career programs that partner with employers in high-demand sectors (like healthcare, IT, and manufacturing), ensuring participants earn recognized credentials while receiving living wages and wraparound supports like stipends and job readiness coaching. Programs must prioritize enrollees reading at a 6th-grade level or below, guarantee at least 50% of participants come from underserved communities, and report annually on outcomes like earnings growth, employment rates, and credential attainment. The initiative allocates $30 million annually (2026-2029) to address labor shortages and support economic mobility through targeted, employer-aligned training.
This bill creates federal grants to help community colleges expand agriculture and natural resources programs. It provides competitive funding to community colleges and college consortia to support workforce training, education, research, and outreach - especially when partnering with local agriculture businesses. Funds can be used for equipment, faculty development, apprenticeships, and programming on farm business management topics like accounting and finance. The bill authorizes $20 million annually from 2026-2031, requiring a 3-year evaluation report to Congress on program impacts.
S 2664, the Skilled Workforce Act, creates a 30% federal tax credit for businesses investing in training facilities that address workforce shortages in high-demand industries like high-tech manufacturing, clean energy, construction, and advanced transportation. The credit applies to eligible institutions (such as community colleges, career schools, and public secondary schools) partnering with businesses to build or upgrade facilities for skills-based training programs. Projects must be certified by Treasury and Commerce, with a total funding cap of $500 million, prioritizing rural schools and those serving underserved communities. The credit cannot be combined with other tax benefits for the same investment and applies to property placed in service after the bill's enactment.
HR 5806, the Pre-Apprenticeship Wrap-around Support Services Fund Act of 2025, provides federal grants to organizations running pre-apprenticeship programs to offer stipends directly to participants. These stipends cover specific costs like transportation, lost wages from reduced work hours, and industry certification fees, primarily targeting individuals facing employment barriers. The bill requires grantees to track key outcomes - such as program completion rates, job placement in relevant industries, and earnings - within 12 months of program completion. It applies to pre-apprenticeship programs aligned with registered apprenticeships and mandates annual reporting to Congress on program effectiveness. The goal is to reduce financial barriers to entering skilled trades through structured support.
The Workforce of the Future Act of 2025 requires federal agencies to study AI's impact on jobs through reports due within 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years of enactment, focusing on data needs, affected industries, and vulnerable demographics. It authorizes $160 million in Department of Education grants to expand emerging and advanced technology education in schools, with specific emphasis on making these programs accessible to underrepresented groups including minorities, girls, and students from low-income families. The bill also allocates $90 million in Department of Labor grants to provide training for workers most impacted by AI in industries where AI is projected to significantly affect job opportunities. Grantees must report on program participation and outcomes, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status, and demonstrate how programs will be sustained after funding ends. The legislation emphasizes collaboration between schools, industry, and labor organizations to develop curricula and training aligned with future workforce needs.
HR 4825, the COTA Act, amends the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to improve career guidance for skilled trades. It requires workforce programs to provide students with information about high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand career paths - including construction, healthcare, and technology - and to run public awareness campaigns (like social media ads) about these opportunities. This directly affects community colleges, career centers, and workforce development agencies administering federal job training programs. The bill mandates these new guidance and outreach requirements to help connect students and workers with growing industry needs. It does not change funding levels or create new programs, but updates existing workforce development services.
HR 5807 establishes a new grant program to fund essential support services for individuals enrolled in workforce training programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Qualified applicants (such as local workforce boards) can receive competitive grants to cover costs like childcare, groceries, and transportation for trainees in specific programs. The bill requires grantees to partner with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and SNAP agencies, and limits each grant to $2 million annually. It directly affects trainees facing barriers like childcare needs or food insecurity while participating in approved workforce training activities.
This bill expands education and job training support for youth who have been in foster care since age 14 or older. It allows funding for apprenticeships, GED programs, and remedial education to help them earn diplomas or enter postsecondary training. The changes lower the eligibility age from 16 to 14 and extend participation time for remedial education (up to 6 years). It directly affects foster youth transitioning to adulthood by broadening access to workforce preparation programs.
Creating Access to Rural Employment and Education for Resilience and Success Act or the CAREERS Act This bill reauthorizes the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grant Program and expands the program to include support for career pathway programs or industry or sector partnerships in industries in rural communities. As background, this Department of Agriculture (USDA) program offers grant assistance to create and augment high-wage jobs, accelerate the formation of new businesses, support industry clusters, and maximize the use of local productive assets in eligible low-income rural areas. Under the bill, RISE grant program funds may be used to support career pathway programs (i.e., a combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, and other services) or industry or sector partnerships in industries in rural communities. These industries may include public utilities (i.e., telecommunications, broadband, water, wastewater, disposal, and electric supply services), conservation practices and management, health care, child care, manufacturing, and agribusiness. The bill removes the current requirement that the program provide grants (to the maximum extent practicable) for job accelerators in at least 25 states. Instead, USDA must ensure the regional diversity of grant recipients or participants in providing for job accelerators, career pathway programs, and industry or sector partnerships. The bill also includes additional reporting requirements for career pathway programs and industry or sector partnership grant recipients.
HR 7394, the Mental Health Career Promotion Act, creates a federal grant program to help schools and community colleges connect students with mental health careers. It provides $50 million annually (2027-2031) for partnerships between schools, community colleges, and mental health providers to run programs like career presentations, internships, and professional shadowing for students in grades 9-12 or community college. These programs must be culturally appropriate and evaluated using standardized outcomes, with grantees reporting annually on effectiveness. The bill directly affects educational institutions and mental health organizations working to build pipelines for careers like counselors, social workers, and addiction specialists.
