WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a group of 36 Senators who introduced bipartisan legislation that would allow students in Maine and across the country to use federal Pell Grants to afford high-quality, shorter-term vocational training programs. By expanding Pell Grant eligibility, the Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act would help close skill gaps, address workforce shortages, and provide workers with the specialized training and credentials they need for careers in high-demand fields. As of now, low-income and working students can only use Pell Grants for two-year and four-year colleges or universities.

“Job training programs are proven, successful tools that help young people prepare for rewarding careers,” said Senator Collins.  “I have visited a number of impressive job training programs across Maine that open the doors of opportunity to students in a wide range of high-demand fields, from forestry and welding to health care and HVAC.  By helping more students in our state and across the country access this career pathway, the JOBS Act would assist the next generation with obtaining good-paying jobs and make it easier for businesses to find qualified workers.”

“Every Maine student deserves the opportunity to pursue a fulfilling, good-paying career – whether they are taught in a classroom or trained on a worksite,” said Senator King. “The JOBS Act will expand options for local students by extending low-income college grants to high-quality job training programs like welding, plumbing, and electrician training. Not only does this support students’ job access, it also helps to address critical workforce shortages facing Maine businesses. I want to thank my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, for putting our students and small businesses first and I look forward to getting this bill across the finish line.”

From 2021-2022, the U.S. economy added nearly 11 million jobs, but workforce participation still remains below pre-pandemic levels, in part because unemployed Americans lack access to the job training needed to fill vacant jobs. Recent legislation passed in Congress, including the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, is expected to create millions of new jobs, but industries are reporting that there won’t be enough skilled workers to fill these openings, underscoring the need for Congress to make common-sense adjustments to existing law and train more workers.

The JOBS Act would allow Pell Grants to be used for high-quality job training programs that are at least eight weeks in length and lead to industry-recognized credentials or certificates. Under current law, Pell Grants can only be applied toward programs that are over 600 clock hours or at least 15 weeks in length, rendering students in shorter-term high-quality job training programs ineligible for crucial assistance.

Senators Collins and King were part of the bipartisan group of 36 U.S. Senators led by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mike Braun (R-IN) who introduced the bill.  It is supported by Advance CTE, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), Business Roundtable, Cengage Group, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Higher Learning Advocates (HLA), IBM Corporation, Jobs for the Future (JFF), the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB), the National Skills Coalition (NSC), the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), Rebuilding America’s Middle Class (RAMC), and the Virginia Community College System.

Full text of the bill is available here, and a summary of the bill is available here