Four C's for Careers Act

Summary: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity for Careers Act or the Four C's for Careers Act This bill amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to revise requirements for the local use of funds received by eligible recipients under the Act to support their career and technical education programs.  The bill requires such funds to be used by eligible recipients to support career and technical education programs that:  train career guidance and academic counselors to use labor market information in assisting students with postsecondary education and career planning; and  support public-private partnerships designed to provide students with the credentials and skills required to secure employment in relevant fields; and  if determined appropriate by the local educational agency, support programs that coordinate and integrate academic and career and technical education content and specified work-based learning opportunities.  Funds may be used to assess resources required for promoting greater engagement and coordination with business and industry. An eligible agency, with input from eligible recipients, may identify in its state plan, the acquisition of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity skills as additional indicators of performance for the career and technical education activities authorized under the Act.  State plans shall describe how eligible agencies will improve the critical thinking, communications, collaboration, and creativity skills of the students participating in their career and technical education programs.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Critical Thinking, Collaboration, 
Communication, and Creativity for Careers Act'' or the ``Four C's for 
Careers Act''.

SEC. 2. DELIVERING HIGH-QUALITY CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 
              OPPORTUNITIES.

    Section 135 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 
Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2355) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``an industry, 
                which may include work-based learning experiences;'' 
                and inserting ``a range of industries identified 
                through effective and sustained business and community 
                partnerships, including work-based learning 
                experiences;'';
                    (B) in paragraph (5)--
                            (i) by inserting ``induction programs (as 
                        the term is defined in section 200 of the 
                        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021)), 
                        as well as preparation and'' after ``provide''; 
                        and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) in clause (iii) by striking ``; 
                                and'' and inserting a semicolon; and
                                    (II) by adding at the end the 
                                following:
                            ``(v) teaching high-quality dual and 
                        concurrent enrollment career and technical 
                        education programs that are designed to expand 
                        opportunities for students to earn 
                        postsecondary credit and relevant 
                        certifications;
                            ``(vi) encouraging best practices among 
                        communities of practitioners, including using 
                        blended learning programs (as such term is 
                        defined in section 4102 of the Elementary and 
                        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                        7112)); and
                            ``(vii) strategies for improving the 
                        critical thinking, communications, 
                        collaboration, and creativity skills of 
                        students participating in career and technical 
                        education programs;'';
                    (C) in paragraph (7), by inserting ``, such as 
                developing and using open educational resources and 
                creating physical environments that support student 
                engagement'' after ``relevant technology'';
                    (D) in paragraph (8) by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (E) in paragraph (9) by striking the period and 
                inserting a semicolon; and
                    (F) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraphs:
            ``(10) train career guidance and academic counselors to 
        effectively use labor market information in assisting students 
        with postsecondary education and career planning;
            ``(11) support public private partnerships designed to 
        provide students with the credentials and skills required to 
        secure employment in relevant fields; and
            ``(12) if determined appropriate by the local educational 
        agency, support programs that coordinate and integrate--
                    ``(A) academic and career and technical education 
                content through coordinated instructional strategies, 
                which may include experiential learning opportunities 
                and promoting skills necessary for in-demand 
                occupations or industries in the State in which such 
                local educational agency is located; and
                    ``(B) work-based learning opportunities that 
                provide students with in-depth interaction with 
                industry professionals and, if appropriate, academic 
                credit.''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (19)(D) by striking ``and'';
                    (B) in paragraph (20) by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(21) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to 
        identify the strategies, tools, and resources required for 
        promoting greater engagement and coordination with business and 
        industry, including exploring the unique technology, 
        transportation, and other special needs of rural and low-income 
        communities.''.

SEC. 3. PROMOTING CRITICAL THINKING, COLLABORATION, COMMUNICATION, AND 
              CREATIVITY.

    The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 
U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 3(5)(B) (20 U.S.C. 2302(5)(B))--
                    (A) by inserting ``, creativity, communication,'' 
                after ``reasoning''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``collaboration skills,'' after 
                ``employability skills,'';
            (2) in section 113(b)(2)(C) (20 U.S.C. 2323(b)(2)(C)), by 
        inserting ``and acquisition of critical thinking, 
        collaboration, communication, and creativity skills'' after 
        ``self-sufficiency''; and
            (3) in section 122(c)(7) (20 U.S.C. 2342(c)(7))--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (C) by inserting ``and'' after 
                the semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(D) improve the critical thinking, 
                communications, collaboration, and creativity skills of 
                students participating in career and technical 
                education programs, including by--
                            ``(i) integrating such skills into 
                        coursework through project-based learning;
                            ``(ii) building the capacity of educators 
                        to teach such skills; and
                            ``(iii) providing ongoing support to help 
                        students achieve such skills;''.