The House Science Committee approved the “Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act” that would restructure priorities within the National Science Foundation (NSF) towards workforce development and career pathways in STEM. Among its many provisions, at least $2.5 million in grants per year over four years would be directed to support universities that partner with employers “that commit to offering apprenticeships, internships, research opportunities, or applied learning experiences” to students pursuing four-year STEM degrees.

While the bill does not authorize new funds, it does redirect money currently in the Education and Human Resources Directorate towards new priorities, including no less than $5 million per year over four years for grants to community colleges to “develop or improve” associate degree and certificate programs in high-demand STEM fields.

The legislative text does not specify specific programs to receive funding, opening up the possibilities of this bill creating new grant programs if it is enacted into law. Alternatively, previous committee efforts have highlighted the value of NSF workforce development programs at both two- and four-year education institutions, such as its Advanced Technological Education (ATE), Scholarships for STEM, Community College Innovation Challenge, and Cyber Corps programs.

The bill also contains research provisions, including at least $2.5 million per year over four years for grants to support research on “best practices and scalability of computer-based and online courses for technical skills training.” The bill would direct NSF’s Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate to support research on the “efficiency of skilled technical labor markets” and cross-country comparisons of skilled technical workforce development systems.

The bill has neither been passed by the full House, nor introduced in the Senate yet. The bill is sponsored by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and cosponsored by the House Science Committee leadership including Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). The bill saw no objections in committee, getting approved by a voice vote. While it is unclear if and when this bill will pass, the committee vote shows strong support for this type of work.

To read more about the bill, click here. To read the legislative text, click here.