The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a new initiative that aims to bridge the gap between education and quality jobs. The new plan from the Biden-Harris Administration, Raise the Bar: Unlock Career Success, supports career-connected learning to increase job pathways for students.
Supported by the Departments of Commerce and Labor, the announcement of Raise the Bar: Unlock Career Success pledges to increase and expand access to quality training programs to better prepare students in entering high-demand industries. The initiative connects essential agencies of the Biden-Harris Administration to reinforce and amplify the pathway between K-12 education, higher education, and workforce programs.
With the support of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), a $120 billion dollar plan dedicated to K-12 education, and Perkins funding, the Administration is fortifying the upcoming generation with essential skills to fill high-paying, in-demand jobs. Raise the Bar includes expanding student access to skills-based learning and training pathways, as seen in Registered Apprenticeships in key industries such as advanced manufacturing, automotive, and cyber security.
Along with the announcement for Raise the Bar came the launch of a new program backed by an additional $5.6 million dollars to the Perkins funding, providing new guidance on how federal funds can be used to further develop career pathway programs and how to expand work-based learning opportunities for students.
“It’s time we bridge the divide between our K-12 systems and our college, career, and industry preparation programs, which leave too many students behind and perpetuate inequities in our most diverse, underserved, and rural communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “An education system reimagined for the 21st century engages youth of all ages in the power of career-connected learning and provides every student with the opportunity to gain real-life work experience, earn college credits, and make progress towards an industry credential before they graduate high school. Today, the Biden-Harris team is raising the bar with new investments and resources to support intentional collaboration between schools, colleges, workforce development agencies and industry partners and build clearer pathways for students to rewarding careers and lifelong success.”
Raise the Bar builds on President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget proposal, which invests $200 million in Career-Connected High Schools and supports competitive grants to grow and build models to bridge the gap between education and quality, high demand jobs. Funding also supports partnerships between local educational agencies, higher education institutions, and employers, encouraging students to earn college credit while in high school, pursue work-based learning opportunities, and seek-out academic and career counseling.
“Career-connected education programs are essential to the success of the American economy and will spur a new generation of researchers, engineers, and manufacturers in critical industries,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “In launching this initiative, these programs and their graduates will enable us to continue out-competing and out-innovating the rest of the world.”
In support of the launch and coinciding with National Apprenticeship Week which marked the 85th anniversary of the National Apprenticeship Act, First Lady Jill Biden, Secretary Miguel Cardona, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh traveled to Chicago, Illinois to meet with students enrolled in a career-connected learning program at Rolling Meadows High School. The Secretaries and the First Lady also visited Aon’s Chicago facility hosted by the Chicago Apprenticeship Network. The visit underscored the value of Registered Apprenticeship, particularly in non-traditional industries and corporate careers that focus on underrepresented populations and communities in key sectors of technology, finance, insurance, and banking.
“During National Apprenticeship Week, the Biden-Harris administration is highlighting Registered Apprenticeship as a proven and industry-driven training model to address some of our nation’s most pressing workforce challenges,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “The federal initiative announced today will further support private-public partnerships that help youth across the country access a college education, good-paying jobs, and strong pathways to the middle class.”
With the rising awareness of the discrepancy between the competencies and experiences that employers look for in potential hires and the skills of recent graduates, the launch of Raise the Bar: Unlock Career Success comes in at the crux of the employability crisis. The new initiative garners support for the field of higher education, facilitating connections between K-12 education, higher education institutions, and workforce programs.
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