,,ii #aacth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #bebd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #bd1 #bjad ,mr4 ,warner 7for himself and ,mr4 ,kaine7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to support access to career and technical education programs of study that provide students with education and training combining rigorous academics with technical curricula focused on specific high-skill1 high-wage1 high-demand and high-growth occupations and industries4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,pathways to ,prosperity ,act of #bjad4 #b4 ,references ,except as otherwise expressly provided1 wherever in this ,act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to1 or repeal of1 a section or other provision1 the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the ,carl ,d4 ,perkins ,career and ,technical ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcja et seq474 #c4 ,definitions ,section #c 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcjb7 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#f7 through 7#i71 7#aj7 through 7#ag71 7#ah71 7#ai71 and 7#bj7 through 7#cd7 as paragraphs 7#g7 through 7#aj71 7#ab7 through 7#ai71 7#ba71 7#bb71 and 7#bd7 through 7#ch71 respectively2 7#b7 by inserting after paragraph 7#e7 the following3 7#f7 ,career and technical education program of study ,the term career and technical education program of study means a coordinated1 non-duplicative sequence of secondary and postsecondary academic and technical courses that-- 7,a7 contain rigorous1 ,state-identified college and career readiness standards that address both academic and technical content and align to local1 regional1 or ,state labor market needs1 as identified by employers and labor market information2 7,b7 support attainment of career readiness skills2 7,c7 progress in content specificity 7beginning with all aspects of an industry or career cluster leading to more occupationally specific instruction72 7,d7 incorporate multiple entry and exit points with portable demonstrations of technical competency1 which may include postsecondary education credits as recognized by credit transfer or articulation agreements or industry-recognized credentials2 and 7,e7 culminate in the attainment of an industry-recognized credential1 an apprenticeship or postsecondary certificate1 or an associate or baccalaureate degree4 2 7#c7 by inserting after paragraph 7#aj71 as redesignated by paragraph 7#a7 of this section1 the following3 7#aa7 ,credit transfer agreement ,the term #8credit transfer agreement' refers to an opportunity for secondary students to be awarded transcripted postsecondary credit1 supported with formal agreements among secondary and postsecondary education systems1 such as dual enrollment1 dual credit1 #b-year to #d-year college articulation agreements1 or articulated credit1 which may include credit awarded for performance on technical assessments4 2 7#d7 by inserting after paragraph 7#ai71 as redesignated by paragraph 7#a7 of this section1 the following3 7#bj7 ,industry-recognized credential ,the term #8industry-recognized credential' means a credential that-- 7,a7 is sought or accepted by employers within the industry or sector involved as a recognized1 preferred1 or required credential for recruitment1 screening1 hiring1 retention or advancement purposes2 and 7,b7 if appropriate1 is endorsed by a nationally recognized trade association or organization representing a significant part of the industry or sector4 2 and 7#e7 by inserting after paragraph 7#bb71 as redesignated by paragraph 7#a7 of this section1 the following3 7#bc7 ,labor market information ,the term labor market information means economic1 social1 and demographic information that-- 7,a7 pertains to labor markets for the purposes of determining the supply of1 and demand for1 labor and related skills and competencies2 and 7,b7 supports students1 job seekers1 employers1 developers of curricula1 and other relevant stakeholders in understanding labor market and economic trends to help make informed labor market decisions4 4 #d4 ,accountability ,section #aac7;b77#b7 of the ,carl ,d4 ,perkins ,career and ,technical ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcbc7;b77#b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by striking clause 7vi72 and 7#b7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking clause 7v7 and inserting the following3 7v7 the median earnings of students who are employed during the second quarter after completing a career and technical education program of study in the ,state4 ,the ,secretary shall1 consistent with ,state law1 ensure that the necessary wage records are available to enable eligible agencies to collect data relating to this ,state performance measure4 4 #e4 ,national ,activities ,section #aad7;d77#d77;,a7 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcbd7 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating clause 7iv7 as clause 7v72 7#b7 in clause 7iii71 by striking and after the semicolon2 and 7#c7 by inserting after clause 7iii7 the following3 7iv7 to engage in evaluation and technical assistance activities that will assist in-- 7,i7 collecting information on the industry-recognized credentials awarded to participants in career and technical education programs of study1 including-- 7aa7 the name of such industry-recognized credentials2 7bb7 the awarding body2 7cc7 the duration of the program of study for the credential2 and 7dd7 the number of such participants receiving the credential2 and 7,,ii7 developing the necessary infrastructure to support the ,state and local reporting of information described in subclause 7,i71 including through activities such as establishing-- 7aa7 data sharing agreements with ,state licensing agencies and with industry associations and employers who award certifications or other industry-recognized credentials2 7bb7 a consistent reporting method across ,states2 and 7cc7 a collection system to process reports in a timely fashion2 and 4 #f4 ,state ,leadership ,activities ,section #abd7;b7 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bcda7;a77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#h71 by striking and after the semicolon2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#i7 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#aj7 establishing statewide credit transfer agreements aligned to approved career and technical education programs of study4 4 #g4 ,local ,plan for ,career and ,technical ,education ,programs ,section #acd7;b7 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #bced7;b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#aa71 by striking and after the semicolon2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#ab7 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#ac7 describe how the eligible recipient will partner with business and industry to-- 7,a7 identify opportunities for experiential and work-based learning opportunities either in-person or virtually2 7,b7 ensure career and technical education programs of study are responsive to community and employment demands and are-- 7i7 aligned with employment priorities in the ,state1 regional1 or local economy identified by employers and other relevant stakeholders identified in section #acd7;b77#e72 7ii7 informed by labor market information2 and 7iii7 designed to meet current1 intermediate1 and long term labor market projections2 7,c7 ensure funding under this ,act is spent in a coordinated manner with other local resources4 4 #h4 ,amendment to the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife ,section #aejb7;a7 of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fdib7;a77 is amended by striking challenging ,state academic content standards and challenging ,state student academic achievement standards and inserting rigorous1 ,state-identified college and career readiness standards that address both academic content and career and technical education content identified under section #aac7;b77#b77;,a77ii7 of the ,carl ,d4 ,perkins ,career and ,technical ,education ,act44