This bill, the CAREERS Act, changes the Rural Innovation Stronger Economy Grant Program at the Department of Agriculture. It adds career pathway programs and "industry or sector partnerships" as activities the grant program can support. Eligible partners explicitly include institutions of higher education and area career and technical education schools. For career pathway programs, at least one member of the local workforce development board must be included so the program connects to local workforce activities. The bill tells the Secretary to make sure grants are spread across regions. It adds workforce goals such as addressing worker displacement, an aging workforce, and youth migration. The bill lists example industries that can receive support, including telecommunications/broadband, water and wastewater services, electric supply, conservation, health care, child care, manufacturing, and agribusiness, and allows other local in-demand sectors to be included. It requires reporting on the number of people who complete skills development or recognized credentials and asks for employment and earnings outcome data for program participants. The program period is changed from 2019–2023 to 2025–2030. The Secretary of Agriculture must set an effective date no later than one year after the act is enacted.
No publicly available information on costs or new funding amounts is provided in the bill text. The bill does change the program period to cover 2025 through 2030.
No publicly available information on proponents' statements or arguments in the bill text or metadata.
No publicly available information on opponents' statements or arguments in the bill text or metadata.