Gateway to Careers Act of 2021
Bill: S.52 | Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood (D-NH)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Gateway to Careers Act of 2021
This bill establishes a career pathway grant program through which the Department of Education must award competitive grants to certain public institutions of higher education and postsecondary technical education schools. Grant recipients must use these funds to (1) carry out activities that support the development and implementation of career pathway programs, and (2) provide support services to students engaged in career pathway programs.

To establish a career pathway grant program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Gateway to Careers Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. CAREER PATHWAYS GRANT PROGRAM.

    Title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161a et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

                ``PART BB--CAREER PATHWAY GRANT PROGRAM

``SEC. 899. CAREER PATHWAY GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) WIOA definitions.--The terms `area career and 
        technical education school', `career pathway', `in-demand 
        industry sector or occupation', `individual with a barrier to 
        employment', `industry or sector partnership', `integrated 
        education and training', `local board', `recognized 
        postsecondary credential', and `State board' have the meanings 
        given such terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
            ``(2) Career pathway partnership.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `career pathway 
                partnership' means a partnership--
                            ``(i) between an eligible institution, a 
                        workforce development partner described in 
                        subparagraph (B), and an education partner 
                        described in subparagraph (C);
                            ``(ii) evidenced by a formal agreement 
                        between partners; and
                            ``(iii) that is intended to support the 
                        development and implementation of a career 
                        pathway program.
                    ``(B) Workforce development partner.--A workforce 
                development partner described in subparagraph (A) means 
                one or more of the following:
                            ``(i) A local board or a State board.
                            ``(ii) An industry association or other 
                        representative of multiple employers in the 
                        target industry, including an industry or 
                        sector partnership.
                            ``(iii) A community-based organization with 
                        experience in providing employment, education, 
                        or support services relevant to the career 
                        pathway and student populations receiving 
                        services under the grant under this section.
                    ``(C) Education partner.--An education partner 
                described in subparagraph (A) means one or more of the 
                following:
                            ``(i) A local educational agency, as 
                        defined under section 8101 of the Elementary 
                        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                        7801).
                            ``(ii) An eligible provider, as defined 
                        under section 203 of the Workforce Innovation 
                        and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3272).
                            ``(iii) An institution of higher education, 
                        as defined in section 101, or a postsecondary 
                        vocational institution, as defined in section 
                        102(c).
            ``(3) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
        institution' means--
                    ``(A) a public institution of higher education at 
                which the highest degree that is predominantly awarded 
                to students is an associate's degree, including 2-year 
                Tribal Colleges or Universities under section 316 of 
                the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c) and 
                public 2-year State institutions of higher education;
                    ``(B) an area career and technical education school 
                that provides education at the postsecondary level; or
                    ``(C) a consortium of institutions described in 
                subparagraph (A) or (B).
            ``(4) Evidence-based.--The term `evidence-based' means an 
        activity, strategy, or intervention that--
                    ``(A) demonstrates a statistically significant 
                effect on improving student outcomes or other relevant 
                outcomes based on--
                            ``(i) strong evidence from not less than 1 
                        well-designed and well-implemented experimental 
                        study;
                            ``(ii) moderate evidence from not less than 
                        1 well-designed and well-implemented quasi-
                        experimental study; or
                            ``(iii) promising evidence from not less 
                        than 1 well-designed and well-implemented 
                        correlational study with statistical controls 
                        for selection bias;
                    ``(B) demonstrates a rationale based on high 
                quality research finding or positive evaluation that 
                such activity, strategy, or intervention is likely to 
                improve student outcomes or other relevant outcomes; 
                and
                    ``(C) includes ongoing efforts to examine the 
                effects of such activity, strategy, or intervention.
            ``(5) Measurable skill gains.--The term `measurable skill 
        gains' has the meaning given the term in section 
        361.155(a)(1)(v) of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
        successor regulations).
            ``(6) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
    ``(b) Program Established.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Labor, shall establish a career pathway grant program, 
through which the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, 
to eligible institutions in order to enable eligible institutions to 
carry out the activities described in subsection (e).
    ``(c) Application.--An eligible institution desiring to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application, at such time and 
in such manner as the Secretary may require, that includes the 
following information:
            ``(1) A description of the career pathway partnership, 
        including the roles and responsibilities of each partner.
            ``(2) A description of the career pathway program that will 
        be supported under the grant, including a description of the 
        in-demand industry sectors or occupations that will be targeted 
        and the recognized postsecondary credentials to be awarded.
            ``(3) A description of how the career pathway program 
        supported under the grant are aligned and coordinated with 
        other employment, education, and support services offered in 
        the geographic area served under the grant.
            ``(4) A description of the student populations that will be 
        served under the grant, including an analysis of any barriers 
        to postsecondary access and completion that such populations 
        face, and an analysis of how the services to be provided under 
        the grant will address those barriers.
            ``(5) A description of the activities and services to be 
        provided under this grant, consistent with the subsection (e).
            ``(6) A description of the performance outcomes that the 
        eligible institution plans to achieve, including a description 
        of how the eligible institution will evaluate and measure 
        student progress and measurable skill gains along a career 
        pathway.
            ``(7) Such other information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(d) Priority in Awarding Grants.--The Secretary shall award 
grants under this part in a manner that--
            ``(1) supports geographic diversity among grantees;
            ``(2) gives priority to eligible institutions that seek to 
        serve individuals with a barrier to employment or individuals 
        with a barrier to postsecondary education; and
            ``(3) gives priority to eligible institutions that will use 
        grant funds for evidence-based activities.
    ``(e) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) Developing and implementing career pathway 
        programs.--An eligible institution receiving a grant under this 
        section shall use grant funds to carry out activities that 
        support the development and implementation of career pathway 
        programs, which shall include one or more of the following:
                    ``(A) The planning and implementation of agreements 
                between the eligible institution and other partners in 
                the career pathway partnership to support seamless 
                transitions between elements of the career pathway 
                program offered by different partners, as appropriate.
                    ``(B) The development and expansion of new or 
                existing programs at the eligible institution that 
                utilize integrated education and training strategies, 
                and support multiple entry and exit points for working 
                learners, which may include--
                            ``(i) dual-enrollment approaches for 
                        secondary students or disconnected youth 
                        seeking to participate in a career pathway 
                        program; and
                            ``(ii) strategies that help working 
                        students and other nontraditional and adult 
                        student populations access skills and 
                        recognized postsecondary credentials.
                    ``(C) The provision of evidence-based professional 
                development for faculty and other staff at the eligible 
                institution or at partner organizations described under 
                subparagraph (B) or (C) of subsection (a)(2) on the 
                development and implementation of career pathways.
                    ``(D) The acquisition of equipment necessary to 
                support the delivery of career pathway programs 
                supported through a grant under this section.
                    ``(E) Any other evidence-based activities 
                identified by the eligible institution or partners as 
                necessary to support the development or implementation 
                of career pathway programs, as long as such activities 
                are clearly outlined in the grant application.
            ``(2) Student support services.--In addition to the 
        activities described in paragraph (1), an eligible institution 
        receiving a grant under this section shall use grant funds to 
        provide student support services to students engaged in career 
        pathway programs, which shall include--
                    ``(A) the provision of direct support services such 
                as childcare, transportation, mental health and 
                substance use disorder treatment, assistance in 
                obtaining health insurance coverage, and assistance in 
                accessing the supplemental nutrition assistance program 
                established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
                U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), the special supplemental 
                nutrition program for women, infants, and children 
                established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 
                1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), housing, and other benefits, as 
                appropriate;
                    ``(B) offering career pathway navigation and case 
                management services, including providing information 
                and outreach to target populations to encourage 
                individuals to take part in programs and service 
                offerings; and
                    ``(C) the provision of emergency grants to help 
                students facing financial hardships that may impact 
                enrollment or completion of an element of a career 
                pathway program.
    ``(f) Duration of Award.--A grant under this section shall be for a 
period of not more than 4 years. An eligible institution may apply for 
subsequent grants after the completion of a grant period.
    ``(g) Reports.--
            ``(1) Report to the secretary.--Each eligible institution 
        receiving a grant under this section shall submit a report to 
        the Secretary, on an annual basis, describing--
                    ``(A) the activities provided under the grant, 
                including activities carried out directly by the 
                eligible institution and activities carried out by 
                partner organizations;
                    ``(B) the students receiving services under the 
                grant, disaggregated by age, race or ethnicity, gender, 
                barriers to employment, and income; and
                    ``(C) indicators of performance for students 
                receiving services through a career pathway program 
                carried out through a grant under this part, 
                disaggregated by participant type as described in 
                paragraph (2), including, at a minimum--
                            ``(i) the percentage of program 
                        participants who are in unsubsidized employment 
                        prior to enrollment in the career pathway 
                        program;
                            ``(ii) the percentage of program 
                        participants who are in unsubsidized employment 
                        during the second quarter after exit from the 
                        program;
                            ``(iii) the percentage of program 
                        participants who are in unsubsidized employment 
                        during the fourth quarter after exit from the 
                        program;
                            ``(iv) the median earnings of program 
                        participants who are in unsubsidized employment 
                        prior to enrollment in the career pathway 
                        program;
                            ``(v) the median earnings of program 
                        participants who are in unsubsidized employment 
                        during the second quarter after exit from the 
                        program;
                            ``(vi) the percentage of program 
                        participants who obtain a recognized 
                        postsecondary credential, or a secondary school 
                        diploma or its recognized equivalent, during 
                        participation in or within 1 year after exit 
                        from the program;
                            ``(vii) the percentage of program 
                        participants who, during a program year, are in 
                        an education or training program that leads to 
                        a recognized postsecondary credential or 
                        employment and who are achieving measurable 
                        skill gains toward such a credential or 
                        employment; and
                            ``(viii) the percentage of program 
                        participants receiving support services, 
                        disaggregated by type of service.
            ``(2) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall submit a 
        report to Congress, on a biennial basis, containing a summary 
        of the information described in paragraph (1).
    ``(h) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall reserve not less than 1 
percent and not more than 3 percent of the funds made available under 
subsection (i) for each fiscal year to--
            ``(1) conduct a rigorous, independent evaluation of the 
        activities funded under this section; and
            ``(2) disseminate and promote the utilization of evidence-
        based practices related to career pathway programs for 
        postsecondary students.
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out the activities described in this section, 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022 and for each 
subsequent fiscal year thereafter.''.
                                 <all>