American Workforce Investment in Next Generation of Students Act

To establish a pilot program to promote public-private partnerships among apprenticeships or other job training programs, local educational agencies or area career and technical education schools, and community colleges, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the American Workforce Investment in Next Generation of Students Act 2. 2–2–2 Pilot Program (a) In general From the amounts appropriated to carry out this Act, the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall award grants to not less than 10 eligible entities to carry a program described in subsection (c) for eligible students. (b) Application requirements An eligible entity that desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary as such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (c) Uses of funds (1) In general An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use such grant to carry out a program under which each eligible student participating in the program— (A) during grades 11 and 12 at a high school served by a local educational agency partner of the eligible entity, enrolls in and completes— (i) STEM and STEM-focused career and technical education courses; and (ii) courses that prepare such student for community college and a career in a State-identified high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sector or occupation (within the meaning of such phrase in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006), or the manufacturing field or other vocational or career and technical education field, or a conservation, sustainability and environmentally focused jobs; (B) upon graduating from the high school, enrolls, at a community college partner of the eligible entity— (i) in a course of study related to a career pathway described in subparagraph (A)(ii); or (ii) in a youth apprenticeship program; (C) upon receiving an associate’s degree from the community college, in the case of a student who has not completed the youth apprenticeship program or joint labor-management training program of the eligible entity, enrolls and participates, for at least a 2-year period, in such youth apprenticeship program or joint labor-management training program; (D) receives assistance, on a regular basis throughout the student’s participation in the program at the student’s request and through regular annual meetings, from a student career workforce navigator who— (i) assists the student in making decisions to ensure long-term success and eligibility in the program, and evaluating eligible career pathways; and (ii) provides guidance on how to access other Federal benefits (such as nutrition assistance, housing support, and Federal student aid); and (E) receives work training and job placement through a general or industry specific workforce development consortium employer established under paragraph (2). (2) Workforce development consortium employer (A) In general An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use not less than 10 percent of the grant to establish a workforce development employer consortium described in subparagraph (B) that partners with the local educational agency and community college partners of the eligible entity to provide eligible students participating in the program described in paragraph (1) with work training and job placement. (B) Workforce development consortium employer For purposes of this paragraph, the workforce development employer consortium (i) a general workforce consortium employer that— (I) focuses on assessing and identifying the common workforce need for the geographic area or community served by the eligible entity; and (II) is composed of partnering employers, spanning multiple industries or sectors; or (ii) an industry specific workforce development employer consortium that— (I) focuses on assessing and identifying the common workforce need for industries; and (II) is composed of partnering employers within a single industry or sector. (d) Eligible students To be eligible to participate in a program described in subsection (c), a student shall, prior to participating in the program, demonstrate academic ability and a commitment to pursue a career pathway described in subsection (c)(1)(A)(ii). (e) Definitions In this section: (1) Apprenticeship The term apprenticeship National Apprenticeship Act 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq. (2) Area career and technical education school The term area career and technical education school 20 U.S.C. 2302 (3) Career and technical education The term career and technical education 20 U.S.C. 2302 (4) Community college The term community college junior or community college 20 U.S.C. 1058(f) (5) Eligible entity The term eligible entity (A) among— (i) at least one local educational agency or area career and technical education school; (ii) at least one community college; and (iii) at least one youth apprenticeship program or joint labor-management training program; and (B) that works with an employer in a State-identified high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sector or occupation described in subsection (c)(1)(A)(ii) that is serving, or seeking to expand its capacity to serve, youth apprenticeship programs. (6) ESEA terms The terms local educational agency high school State 20 U.S.C. 7801 (7) Joint labor-management training program The term joint labor-management training program (A) is carried out by a committee that is composed of an equal number of representatives of employers and representatives of employees represented by a bona fide collective bargaining agent; and (B) has been established to conduct, operate, or administer an youth apprenticeship program and enter into apprenticeship agreements with apprentices. (8) Secretary The term Secretary (9) STEM The term STEM (A) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and (B) other career and technical education subjects that build on the subjects described in subparagraph (A). (10) Youth apprenticeship program The term youth apprenticeship program (A) is designed for an eligible student who at the start of the program is eligible to be enrolled in high school; and (B) incorporates the following: (i) Paid, on-the-job learning under the supervision of skilled employee mentors. (ii) Related classroom-based instruction at a local educational agency or community college partner of the eligible entity aligned with a career pathway described in subsection (c)(1)(A)(ii). (iii) Ongoing assessment against established skill and competency standards. (iv) Culmination in a recognized postsecondary credential, with the quality of the training leading to the credential reviewed by the eligible entity. (v) Leads to placement in further education, employment, or an apprenticeship program.

Summary: American Workforce Investment in Next Generation of Students Act This bill directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out a program for students to enroll in and complete science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, STEM-focused career and technical education courses, and other career pathway courses during grades 11 and 12 at a secondary school served by a local educational agency (LEA) partner; enroll in a course of study related to such a career pathway or in a youth apprenticeship program at a partner community college upon graduating from the secondary school; enroll, for a two-year period, in the youth apprenticeship program or the joint-labor management training program upon receiving an associate's degree from a partner community college; receive assistance from a student career workforce navigator; and receive work training and job placement through a workforce development consortium employer established under the bill. An eligible entity is a partnership (1) among at least one LEA, at least one community college, and at least one youth apprenticeship program or joint labor-management training program; and (2) that works with an employer in a state-identified high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sector or occupation that is serving, or seeking to expand its capacity to serve, youth apprenticeship programs.