‘If It’s Not Broken Don’t Fix It’: GT Thompson Lambests Acting Labor Sec. Su’s Proposed Rule Change

4 months ago

On Wednesday, Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA) questioned Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su on proposed changes to CTE regulation during a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing.

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Transcript

00:00Mr. Thompson, you're recognized for five minutes.

00:03Thank you, Chairwoman.

00:04Acting Secretary, as you know, I've

00:06co-chaired the Bipartisan Career and Technical Education

00:09Caucus for more than a decade.

00:12Since that time, with the help of critical investments

00:14from the Strengthen Career and Technical Education

00:16for the 21st Century Act, a champion in the 115th Congress,

00:20we've made tremendous strides in helping students of all ages

00:24access these high-quality, affordable programs,

00:28ones that lead to certificates in one hand,

00:35diplomas in one hand, and quite frankly, multiple job

00:37offers in the other.

00:39I'm very concerned, however, with your department's proposal

00:42to expand federal control over successful CTE programs

00:46through the regulatory concoction

00:48that you're calling CTE apprenticeships.

00:51Obviously, we're both very supportive of CTE

00:54and apprenticeships, but I've not

00:55heard from a single student, employer, or program

00:59who thinks it is necessary to combine the two.

01:02Just because each of these are successful on their own

01:05does not mean the Department of Labor

01:07should have any role in enforcing them together

01:10through regulation.

01:12Now, I have significant concerns with your proposed role,

01:14as do many CTE advocates across the spectrum,

01:17including state Perkins agencies and national advocacy

01:21associations.

01:22So question number one, did the department

01:24engage with CTE stakeholders in the development

01:27of this proposed role?

01:28And if so, how was their input and feedback

01:30incorporated into the proposed role?

01:32Thank you, Congressman.

01:33It's actually a pleasure to meet you.

01:36I share your interest in how we make sure

01:39that our training programs are leading all communities

01:43into actual jobs.

01:45That is why there is a $1.5 million

01:47grant in your district for our Workforce Opportunities

01:50and Rural Communities grant, something

01:51that we created in this administration,

01:53recognizing that when we talk about equity

01:56and making sure everybody is included,

01:57we have to make sure that our rural communities are not

02:00left behind.

02:01Our rule and all of our policies are not

02:04intended to limit the operations of CTE programs

02:10or registered apprenticeship programs.

02:13Our hope is to actually braid together more connectivity

02:16where it's needed.

02:17Again, so that we're not creating training programs

02:21that aren't connected to actual jobs at the end of them.

02:24That's been a longtime criticism of the workforce development

02:28system.

02:28And in this administration, we have leaned in very hard,

02:32especially, again, because of the historic job growth

02:34that we are seeing.

02:36Many jobs that do not actually require a four-year college

02:39degree, these programs become even more important.

02:41No, we couldn't agree more that there needs

02:43to be multiple pathways to success.

02:45But under the old adage, if it's not broken, don't fix it.

02:48And when I visit career and technical education programs

02:51today, there's no longer less enrollment.

02:54There's actually waiting lists.

02:57And schools are looking to add programs, adding capacity

02:59because of the interest.

03:01The proposed rule empowers your department

03:04to create, quote, industry skills frameworks, end quote.

03:07And that new CTE apprenticeships would have to adhere to.

03:11The Department of Education, which implements the Perkins Act

03:14is explicitly prohibited from developing and imposing

03:17curriculum for CTE programs.

03:19You are violating the intent of Congress and law

03:22by doing what you're doing.

03:24Why is your department attempting

03:25an end run on this prohibition and seeking

03:28to dictate CTE curriculum without the authorization

03:31of Congress?

03:32And where does your department believe,

03:34what attorneys in some dark corner of the department,

03:38why do they believe where this authority comes from?

03:41So Congressman, I hope I don't say this wrong,

03:44because I'm not 100% positive, but to your question

03:47about whether we have engaged with CTE providers

03:50and others in our rule, I believe the comment period

03:53might still be open.

03:54And if it is, then I would encourage your constituents

03:57to engage with us on the rule.

04:00I would encourage constituents all across 435 districts

04:03to engage with feedback.

04:06To your second question, I think that's

04:08about the Perkins Act, which is something

04:10that is under the purview of the Department of Education,

04:14not the Department of Labor.

04:15We do not seek to regulate or to change that.

04:17Well, quite frankly, though, apprenticeships

04:20are a part of the Perkins Act.

04:23We strengthened within the Perkins Act,

04:26restored the power and the effectiveness of that.

04:29Let me move on to my last question.

04:30Over 30 states, including Pennsylvania,

04:32are currently recognized by the department as state

04:34apprenticeship agencies and granted the authority

04:37to register and oversee apprenticeship

04:39programs in our state.

04:41Do you believe that the federal government understands

04:44the needs of employers and the specific occupation

04:46requirements in each of these states

04:48better than the state apprenticeship agencies?

04:51No, Congressman, which is why many of the ways

04:54that we have approached our workforce funds

04:57have been to invest in creativity and partnerships

05:01and efforts that originate on the ground.

05:04And so we believe that employers, local workers,

05:08employers, local workforce boards,

05:13local community-based organizations, unions,

05:16and other workforce partners who are invested

05:20in creating an effective infrastructure to connect

05:23people to good jobs and employers to people.

05:25And my time has expired, and I appreciate

05:27what you're saying, but it's counterintuitive

05:29and completely opposite of what you're doing.

05:31Because you're actually, your department

05:32is proposing a role that would strip states

05:34and those wonderful state-level agencies

05:37you've talked about, it would strip of their ability

05:41to recognize and approve occupations

05:43that are eligible for registered apprenticeships,

05:45and you're forcing all programs to adhere

05:47to the one-size-fits-all, it's just a bad role.

05:51Thank you.

05:52Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

05:54Ms. Stevens, you're recognized for five minutes.

‘If It’s Not Broken Don’t Fix It’: GT Thompson Lambests Acting Labor Sec. Su’s Proposed Rule Change

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