HR291-119

What This Bill Does

The CAREERS Act amends section 379I of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. It expands rural workforce training so grants can support career pathway programs and industry or sector partnerships, adds institutions of higher education and area career and technical education schools to eligible structures, and requires career pathway programs to include a local workforce development board member so training is integrated with local WIOA activity. It adds rural workforce challenges such as worker displacement, an aging workforce, and youth migration to selection considerations, requires regional diversity, and supports rural sectors including telecommunications or broadband, water and wastewater, electric supply, conservation, health care, child care, manufacturing, and agribusiness. It also adds reporting on skills development, recognized postsecondary credentials, specialized education, and employment and earnings outcomes, and reauthorizes the program for 2025 through 2030.

Who Benefits and How

Rural workers benefit because career pathway programs and industry partnerships can fund targeted skills development in local in-demand sectors. Rural institutions of higher education benefit because they become explicit partners in eligible workforce training structures. Area career and technical education schools benefit from inclusion in rural career pathway and sector partnership grants. Rural employers benefit from training aligned with broadband, water, electric, conservation, health care, child care, manufacturing, and agribusiness needs.

Who Bears the Burden and How

USDA Rural Development staff must update eligibility, selection, regional diversity, reporting, and reauthorization administration. Local workforce development boards must participate in career pathway programs and integrate them with WIOA activity. Grant recipients must report credential, skills development, specialized education, employment, and earnings outcomes. Federal taxpayers bear the cost of grants awarded under the extended 2025 through 2030 authority.

Key Provisions

• Expands eligible rural workforce grants to career pathway programs and industry or sector partnerships.
• Adds institutions of higher education and area career and technical education schools to eligible structures.
• Requires local workforce development board integration for career pathway programs.
• Targets rural workforce challenges including displacement, aging workforce, and youth migration.
• Requires reporting on credentials, skills development, specialized education, employment, and earnings outcomes.
• Extends the rural workforce training program authorization from 2025 through 2030.