Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)Rural communities have unique workforce considerations and challenges. (2)Almost 25 percent of Americans live in rural communities, and while urban areas have experienced job and population growth, rural communities face static or declining populations and job decline. (3)Rural communities were hit harder and recovered more slowly than urban centers during the 2007–2008 recession and have experienced more economic depression and decline in college enrollment due to the COVID–19 pandemic. (4)Rural communities historically have lower rates of postsecondary education, which is a barrier to traditional employment in industries like agriculture and manufacturing. (5)It is estimated that by the end of 2022 over half of all employees will require significant reskilling, which is less expensive than replacing an individual employee. (6)Immersive technologies are proving effective in helping rural communities tackle these challenges. (7)Technologically mediated training, including augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and high-tech simulations are increasingly valued as tools to train workers in industries ranging from manufacturing to health care, agriculture to construction, and clean energy to public safety. (8)Use of immersive technology permits on-site training and continued education, promotes efficiency, aids recruiting as well as retention, improves communication and collaboration, and increases safety. (9)Immersive technologies allow workers to train directly under the supervision and tutelage of more experienced experts who are located outside of the local community. (10)These technologies help workers remain well equipped for the demands of the modern economy. As the need for reskilling increases, so will the need for technologies which support American workers rather than replace them. (11)Community colleges, area career and technical education centers, and other training providers are uniquely positioned to support rural communities in skills development and workforce training. (12)People without a postsecondary credential are 4 times more likely to have a job that can be lost to automation than those who have one, increasing their need to learn new skills in order to remain competitive and employable. (13)Community colleges provide education at a lower cost, with most graduates incurring no student debt. (14)In addition to providing lower cost workforce development training and skills education applicable across a range of roles and occupations, community colleges serve as large regional employers and critical community hubs. (15)Offering grants to community colleges and area career and technical education centers in rural areas to develop and provide immersive technology training programs will help rural communities in the short term and position them for success in the longer term. (16)Despite their proven value, community colleges and area career and technical education schools bear significant funding limitations and shortages. (17)Providing immersive technology training programs through community colleges can help rural communities retain local talent, whether by providing qualification for new local jobs or for remote employment opportunities with companies headquartered in urban centers that are struggling to fill jobs. (18)Immersive technology training partnership with community colleges and area career and technical education schools also complements recent Federal funding for broadband connection and physical infrastructure, the two other biggest hurdles facing rural students and workers seeking reskilling or upskilling.

Grants for immersive technology and education workforce training programs and career pathways

Subtitle D of title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3221 et seq.) is amended— (1)by redesignating section 172 as section 173; and (2)by inserting after section 171 the following:

172.

Grants for immersive technology and education workforce training programs and career pathways

(a)

In general

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this section, from the amounts appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to carry out immersive technology education and workforce training programs or career pathways that use immersive technology. (b)

Use of funds

An eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall use such grant for at least one of the following: (1)To develop and implement or improve an immersive technology education and workforce training program, or a related policy, program, or other activity that uses immersive technology that— (A)facilitates the transfer of academic credits (including for courses in the same field or program of study) between covered community colleges and other institutions of higher education, including other covered community colleges; and (B)develops or enhances supportive services for students enrolled in such a program or activity. (2)The creation or alignment of a career pathway that provides a sequence of education and occupational training that leads to a recognized postsecondary credential, including a program or activity that— (A) (i)includes integrated education and training that uses immersive technology; and (ii)is designed to increase the provision of workforce training for students (including individuals who are members of the Armed Forces and veterans) in order to facilitate the entry of such students into in-demand industry sectors or occupations; or (B)enables the training of instructors in the use of immersive technology in education and workforce training programs. (c)

Duration of grants

A grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of not more than 5 years, except that in the case of an eligible entity that has carried out a program or activity with such a grant that meets the criteria for satisfactory progress on performance indicators as determined under subsection (h)(1) for the initial 5-year grant period, the Secretary may extend the grant period for such eligible entity by not more than 5 additional years. (d)

Application

An eligible entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (e)

Priority

In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to any eligible entity that— (1)is working with, or in carrying out a program or activity to be funded with such a grant plans to work with, an industry or sector partnership that prioritizes the hiring of individuals who have obtained a recognized postsecondary credential as a result of the program or activity; or (2)submits an application under subsection (d) that demonstrates— (A)alignment with— (i)the State plan under section 102 or 103 of a State in which the eligible entity will be carrying out a program or activity to be funded with such a grant; (ii)the local plan under section 108 of a local area in which such a program or activity will be carried out; or (iii)the State plan under section 122 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2342) with respect to a State in which such a program or activity will be carried out; (B)with quantitative data and evidence, the extent to which the program or activity to be funded by such a grant will meet the needs of employers; (C)how such a program or activity will target a specific in-demand industry sector or occupation which has a skills gap; (D)how such a program or activity will retrain workers from an industry sector that is experiencing decreasing employment; (E)how such a program or activity will target individuals with barriers to employment; (F)how such a program or activity will serve an area of substantial unemployment (as defined in section 132(b)(1)(B)); or (G)how such a program or activity will serve a rural area. (f)

Reports

(1)

Report to the Secretary

Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary a report for each year of the grant period for such grant that includes a description of each program and activity funded under the grant, including— (A)the levels of performance achieved for each indicator of performance under section 116(b)(2)(A)(i), disaggregated by age, race or ethnicity, gender, barrier to employment, and income of the participants of such program or activity; and (B)in a case of an eligible entity that worked with an industry or sector partnership in carrying out such a program or activity, the role of such partnership in carrying out the program or activity. (2)

Report to Congress

Not later than 1 year after the first grant is awarded under this section and biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that includes a summary of the information submitted under paragraph (1) for the most recent 2-year period. (g)

Evaluation

The Secretary shall reserve not less than 1 percent and not more than 5 percent of any amounts made available for each fiscal year to conduct a rigorous, independent evaluation of the programs and activities carried out under this section. (h)

Satisfactory progress

(1)

Determination of criteria

The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, shall determine the criteria for satisfactory progress on the indicators of performance under section 116(b)(2)(A)(i) for programs and activities funded by grants awarded to eligible entities under this section. (2)

Cessation of funds

The Secretary may not provide funds to any eligible entity under a grant under this section after the third year of the grant period unless each program and activity carried out by the eligible entity with the grant has met the criteria for satisfactory progress for the first 3 years of such grant period, as determined under paragraph (1). (i)

Best practices

The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Education and each eligible entity that receives funds under grants awarded under this section after the third year of the grant periods for such grants, shall— (1)establish best practices for using immersive technology in workforce training and education programs; and (2)publish such best practices on a publicly available website of the Department of Labor. (j)

Definitions

In this section: (1)

Covered community college

The term covered community college means— (A)a public institution of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)), at which— (i)the highest degree awarded is an associate degree; or (ii)an associate degree is the most frequently awarded degree; (B)a branch campus of a 4-year public institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), if, at such branch campus— (i)the highest degree awarded is an associate degree; or (ii)an associate degree is the most frequently awarded degree; (C)a 2-year Tribal College or University (as defined in section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3))); or (D)a degree-granting Tribal College or University (as defined in section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3))) at which— (i)the highest degree awarded is an associate degree; or (ii)an associate degree is the most frequently awarded degree. (2)

Eligible entity

The term eligible entity means— (A)a community college; (B)an area career and technical education school; (C)a postsecondary vocational institution (as defined in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c))); or (D)a consortium of such colleges, schools, or institutions. (3)

Immersive technology

The term immersive technology means tools, including virtual reality and augmented reality, that integrate the physical environment with digital content to support user engagement. (4)

Rural

The term rural means all populations, housing, and territories not included within an urban area, in which an urban area is defined as any gathered populations, housing, and territories that meets or exceeds 50,000 or more people, or is comprised of clusters consisting of at least 2,500 gathered populations, housing, and territory but less than 50,000 people.