American Workforce Investment in Next Generation of Students Act
Bill: H.R.4655 | Sponsor: Rep. Larsen, Rick (D-WA)
Policy area: Labor and Employment

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
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.

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.

    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 ``American Workforce Investment in 
Next Generation of Students Act''.

SEC. 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'' means--
                            (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'' means an 
        apprenticeship registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 
        (commonly known as the ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 50 
        Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
            (2) Area career and technical education school.--The term 
        ``area career and technical education school'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
        Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).
            (3) Career and technical education.--The term ``career and 
        technical education'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 
        2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).
            (4) Community college.--The term ``community college'' has 
        the meaning given the term ``junior or community college'' in 
        section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1058(f)).
            (5) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        partnership--
                    (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'', and ``State'' have the meanings given the 
        terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (7) Joint labor-management training program.--The term 
        ``joint labor-management training program'' means a program 
        that--
                    (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'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (9) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means--
                    (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'' means an apprenticeship program that 
        is a partner of the eligible entity that--
                    (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.
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