Title: Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act
This bill requires the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award competitive grants to community colleges to develop or improve associate degree and certificate programs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science) fields in which there is a significant workforce demand in their region and a need to strengthen the global competitiveness of affected companies.
The NSF shall award competitive grants to universities partnering with employers or employer consortia that commit to offering apprenticeships, internships, research opportunities, or applied learning experiences to university students in identified four-year STEM degree programs.
The NSF shall award competitive grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations to conduct research on student outcomes and determine best practices and scalability of computer-based and online courses for technical skills training.
The NSF Directorate of Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences, in coordination with the Department of Labor, shall support research to improve the efficiency of skilled technical labor markets in the United States.
The NSF shall commission research that compares and contrasts skilled technical workforce development between the United States and other developed countries.
The NSF National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics shall coordinate with other relevant federal statistical agencies in exploring the feasibility of expanding its surveys to include the collection of objective data on certain skilled technical workers who use significant levels of STEM knowledge in their jobs.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3583 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3583

    To direct the National Science Foundation to provide grants for 
     research about STEM education approaches and the STEM-related 
                   workforce, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 11, 2018

  Mr. Heller introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the National Science Foundation to provide grants for 
     research about STEM education approaches and the STEM-related 
                   workforce, 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 ``Innovations in Mentoring, Training, 
and Apprenticeships Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) To remain competitive in the global economy, foster 
        greater innovation, and provide a foundation for shared 
        prosperity, the United States needs a workforce with the right 
        mix of skills to meet the diverse needs of the economy.
            (2) Evidence indicates that the returns on investments in 
        technical skills in the labor market are strong when students 
        successfully complete their training and gain credentials 
        sought by employers.
            (3) The responsibility for developing and sustaining a 
        skilled technical workforce is fragmented across many groups, 
        including educators; students; workers; employers; Federal, 
        State, and local governments; labor organizations; and civic 
        associations. Such groups need to be able to coordinate and 
        cooperate successfully with each other.
            (4) Coordination among students, community colleges, 
        secondary and postsecondary institutions, and employers would 
        improve educational outcomes.
            (5) Promising experiments currently underway may guide 
        innovation and reform, but scalability of some of those 
        experiments has not yet been tested.
            (6) Evidence suggests that integration of academic 
        education, technical training, and hands-on work experience 
        improves outcomes and return on investment for students in 
        secondary and postsecondary education and for skilled technical 
        workers in different career stages.
            (7) Outcomes show that mentoring can increase STEM student 
        engagement and the rate of completion of STEM postsecondary 
        degrees.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION STEM INNOVATION AND APPRENTICESHIP 
              GRANTS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director of the National Science Foundation 
(referred to in this Act as the ``Director'') shall award competitive 
grants to eligible applicants in accordance with this section.
    (b) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall 
consult and cooperate with the programs and policies of other relevant 
Federal agencies to avoid duplication with, and enhance the 
effectiveness of, the provision of grants under this section.
    (c) Grants for Associate Degree Programs in STEM Fields.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall award competitive 
        grants to community colleges to develop or improve associate 
        degree and certificate programs in STEM fields in which there 
        is significant workforce demand in the region of the community 
        college receiving the award and a need to strengthen the global 
        competitiveness of affected companies.
            (2) Application.--In considering applications for grants 
        under paragraph (1), the Director shall consider--
                    (A) applicants that consist of a partnership 
                between the applying community college and individual 
                employers or an employer consortia, and may include a 
                university or other organization with demonstrated 
                expertise in academic program development;
                    (B) applications that demonstrate current and 
                future workforce demand in occupations directly related 
                to the proposed associate degree or certificate 
                program;
                    (C) applications that include commitments by the 
                partnering employers or employer consortia to offer 
                apprenticeships, internships, or other applied learning 
                opportunities to students enrolled in the proposed 
                associate degree program; and
                    (D) applications that include outreach plans and 
                goals for recruiting and enrolling women and other 
                historically underrepresented individuals in STEM 
                studies and careers in the proposed associate degree 
                program.
    (d) Grants for STEM Degree Applied Learning Opportunities.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall award competitive 
        grants to universities partnering with employers or employer 
        consortia that commit to offering apprenticeships, internships, 
        research opportunities, or applied learning experiences to 
        enrolled university students in identified 4-year STEM degree 
        programs.
            (2) Application.--In considering applications for grants 
        under paragraph (1), the Director shall consider--
                    (A) applicants that consist of a partnership 
                between--
                            (i) the applying university; and
                            (ii) individual employers or an employer 
                        consortia;
                    (B) applications that demonstrate current and 
                future workforce demand in occupations directly related 
                to selected STEM fields; and
                    (C) applications that include outreach plans and 
                goals for recruiting and enrolling women and other 
                populations historically underrepresented in STEM.
    (e) Grants for Computer-Based and Online STEM Education Courses.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall award competitive 
        grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit 
        organizations to conduct research on student outcomes and 
        determine best practices and scalability of computer-based and 
        online courses for technical skills training.
            (2) Research areas.--The research areas eligible for 
        funding under this subsection may include--
                    (A) postsecondary courses for technical training 
                for STEM occupations;
                    (B) improving high-school level vocational training 
                in STEM subjects;
                    (C) encouraging and sustaining interest and 
                achievement levels in STEM subjects among women and 
                other populations historically underrepresented in STEM 
                studies and careers; and
                    (D) combining computer-based and online STEM 
                education and training with traditional mentoring and 
                other mentoring arrangements, apprenticeships, 
                internships, and other applied learning opportunities.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH ON EFFICIENCY OF SKILLED TECHNICAL LABOR MARKETS.

    (a) Efficiency of Skilled Technical Labor Markets.--The Directorate 
of Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences of the National Science 
Foundation, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, shall support 
research that improves the efficiency of skilled technical labor 
markets in the United States, including research on labor market 
analysis innovations, data and information sciences, electronic 
information tools and methodologies, and metrics.
    (b) Comparison of United States Workforce.--
            (1) Research.--The National Science Foundation shall 
        commission research that compares and contrasts skilled 
        technical workforce development between the United States and 
        other developed countries, including the diversity of skilled 
        technical and professional workforces, to the extent feasible.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a 
        report on the results of the study under paragraph (1).
    (c) Skilled Technical Workforce.--
            (1) Review.--The National Center for Science and 
        Engineering Statistics of the National Science Foundation shall 
        consult and coordinate with other relevant Federal statistical 
        agencies to explore the feasibility of expanding its surveys to 
        include the collection of objective data on the skilled 
        technical workforce.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a 
        report containing the progress made in expanding the National 
        Center for Science and Engineering Statistics surveys to 
        include the skilled technical workforce. Such report shall 
        include a plan for multi-agency collaboration in order to 
        effect data collection and reporting of data on the skilled 
        technical workforce.

SEC. 5. EVALUATION AND REPORT.

    (a) Evaluation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Director shall evaluate the grants 
        and programs provided under this Act.
            (2) Requirements.--In conducting the evaluation under 
        paragraph (1), the Director shall use a common set of 
        benchmarks and assessment tools to identify best practices and 
        materials developed or demonstrated by the research conducted 
        pursuant to such grants and programs.
    (b) Report on Evaluations.--Not later than 180 days after the 
completion of the evaluation under subsection (a), the Director shall 
submit to Congress and make widely available to the public a report 
that includes--
            (1) the results of the evaluation; and
            (2) any recommendations for administrative and legislative 
        action that could optimize the effectiveness of the grants and 
        programs under this Act.
    (c) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall 
consult the programs and policies of other relevant Federal agencies to 
avoid duplication with, and enhance the effectiveness of, the grants 
and programs under this Act.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.
            (2) Community college.--The term ``community college'' has 
        the meaning given the term ``junior or community college'' in 
        section 312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1058).
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (4) Region.--The term ``region'' means a labor market area, 
        as such term is defined in section 3 of the Workforce 
        Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
            (5) Skilled technical workforce.--The term ``skilled 
        technical workforce'' means workers with high school diplomas 
        and 2-year technical training or certifications who employ 
        significant levels of STEM knowledge in their jobs.
            (6) University.--The term ``university'' means a 4-year 
        institution of higher education, as defined in section 101(a) 
        of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
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