CHampioning Apprenticeships for New Careers and Employees in TECHnology Act or the CHANCE in TECH Act
This bill requires the Department of Labor to enter into competitive contracts with industry intermediaries to promote the development of and access to apprenticeships in the technology sector.
The Department of Education may issue CHANCE in TECH Awards for 21st Century Schools to secondary schools or junior or community colleges that demonstrate high achievement in providing students necessary skills to compete in the 21st century workforce.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3174 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3174
To direct the Secretary of Labor to enter into contracts with industry
intermediaries for purposes of promoting the development of and access
to apprenticeships in the technology sector, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 10, 2017
Mr. Moulton (for himself, Ms. Herrera Beutler, Mr. Kilmer, and Mrs.
Love) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Labor to enter into contracts with industry
intermediaries for purposes of promoting the development of and access
to apprenticeships in the technology sector, 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 ``CHampioning Apprenticeships for New
Careers and Employees in TECHnology Act'' or the ``CHANCE in TECH
Act''.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) During any given 90-day period there can be more than
500,000 information technology job openings in the United
States.
(2) Employment in the technology sector is growing twice as
fast as employment in the United States.
(3) Jobs in the technology sector tend to provide higher
pay and better benefits than other jobs and have been more
resilient to economic downturn than jobs available in other
private sector industries.
(4) Information technology skills are transferable across
nearly all industries.
(5) Exceptional education and on-the-job training programs
exist and should be scaled to meet the demands of the modern
technology workforce.
(6) Adoption of existing employer-driven intermediary
models, such as ApprenticeshipUSA under the Department of
Labor, will help grow the information technology workforce.
(7) Career pathway education should start in high school
through pathways and programs of study that align with local
and regional employer needs.
(8) Preparing a student for a job in the technology sector
is essential to the growth and competitiveness of the economy
in the United States in the 21st century.
(9) Nearly 800,000 information technology workers will
retire between 2017 and 2024.
(10) In 2016, the average salary in the information
technology sector was $108,000, while the average salary among
all other sectors was $53,040.
SEC. 3. TECHNOLOGY APPRENTICESHIP CONTRACTS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Labor (referred to in this
section as ``the Secretary'') shall enter into contracts with industry
intermediaries for the purpose of promoting the development of and
access to apprenticeships in the technology sector, from amounts
appropriated under subsection (e).
(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to be awarded a contract under
this section, an industry intermediary shall submit an application to
the Secretary, at such time and in such a manner as may be required by
the Secretary, that identifies proposed activities designed to further
the purpose described in subsection (a).
(c) Selection.--The Secretary shall award contracts under this
section based on competitive criteria to be prescribed by the
Secretary.
(d) Contractor Activities.--An industry intermediary that is
awarded a contract under this section may only use the funds made
available through such contract to carry out activities designed to
further the purpose described in subsection (a), including--
(1) facilitating the provision and development of
apprenticeships in the technology sector through collaborations
with public and private entities that provide job-related
instruction, such as on-the-job training, pre-apprenticeship
training, and technical training;
(2) encouraging entities to establish such apprenticeships;
(3) identifying, assessing, and training applicants for
such apprenticeships who are--
(A) enrolled in high school;
(B) enrolled in an early college high school that
focuses on education in STEM subjects;
(C) individuals aged 18 years or older who meet
appropriate qualification standards; or
(D) enrolled in pre-apprenticeship or
apprenticeship training initiatives that allow adults
to concurrently increase academic and workforce skills
through proven, evidence-based models that connect all
learning to the specific apprenticeship involved and
significantly accelerate completion of preparation for
the apprenticeship; and
(4) tracking the progress of such applicants who
participate in such apprenticeships.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary for the
purposes of carrying out this section.
SEC. 4. CHANCE IN TECH AWARDS FOR 21ST CENTURY SCHOOLS.
(a) Awards Authorized.--The Secretary of Education may issue
awards, to be known as ``CHANCE in TECH Awards for 21st Century
Schools'', to schools (referred to in this section as ``covered
schools'') that--
(1) are secondary schools or junior or community colleges;
and
(2) demonstrate high achievement in providing students
necessary skills to compete in the 21st century workforce.
(b) Criteria.--In selecting a covered school for an award under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into account--
(1) the availability of STEM, career and technical
education, and computer technology courses at the covered
school;
(2) State academic assessments, as described in section
111(b)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 6311(b)(2)), of students at the covered school in
STEM subjects;
(3) any coordination between the covered school and local
and regional employers in the technology sector for the purpose
of providing work-based learning programs such as
apprenticeships and internships; and
(4) the availability of individualized plans provided by
the covered school to students relating to postsecondary
education or training, career paths, and financial aid.
SEC. 5. FUNDING.
(a) Fiscal Year 2017.--Amounts made available to the Secretary of
Labor under the Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2017 to carry
out the Act referred to in section 6(1) may be used to carry out this
Act.
(b) Subsequent Years.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018
and each subsequent fiscal year.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(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) Career and technical education.--The term ``career and
technical education'' has the meaning given such term in
section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education
Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).
(3) Early college high school.--The term ``early college
high school'' has the meaning given such term in section 8101
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801).
(4) High school.--The term ``high school'' has the meaning
given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(5) Industry intermediary.--The term ``industry
intermediary'' means an entity that--
(A) in order to accelerate apprenticeship program
development and help establish new apprenticeship
partnerships at the national, State, or regional level,
serves as a conduit between an employer and an entity,
such as--
(i) an industry partner;
(ii) the Department of Labor; and
(iii) a State agency responsible for
workforce development programs;
(B) demonstrates a capacity to work with employers
and other key partners to identify workforce trends and
foster public-private funding to establish new
apprenticeship programs; and
(C) is an entity such as--
(i) a business;
(ii) a consortium of businesses;
(iii) a business-related nonprofit
organization, including industry associations
and business federations;
(iv) a private organization functioning as
a workforce intermediary for the express
purpose of serving the needs of businesses,
including community-based nonprofit service
providers and industry-aligned training
providers; or
(v) a consortium of any of the entities
described in clauses (i) through (iv).
(6) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002).
(7) Junior or community college.--The term ``junior or
community college'' has the meaning given the term in section
312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058(f)).
(8) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational
agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
(9) Secondary school.--The term ``secondary school'' has
the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(10) State educational agency.--The term ``State
educational agency'' has the meaning given such term in section
8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801).
(11) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.
(12) Technology sector.--The term ``technology sector''
means the industry sector involved in the design or development
of hardware, software, or security of digital data.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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