McCollum Brings in Federal Funding for Higher Education and Workforce Development

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following statement today after President Biden signed the Fiscal Year 2022 conference agreement into law, with funding for all 10 Community Project Funding (CPF) requests made by Rep. McCollum that will directly benefit Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District:

"Bringing back federal taxpayer dollars to Minnesota's Fourth District to increase access to apprenticeships and STEAM-related careers throughout our community is an exciting investment in our future," Congresswoman McCollum said. "These projects will expand opportunities for good-paying jobs to a wider range of communities, including those historically excluded from typical workforce development pipelines and those seeking alternative career paths that are in high demand. I thank my community partners at the Finishing Trades and St. Catherine's University for working with me to deliver on these projects that will directly impact people's lives here at home."

Two Community Project Funding (CPF) requests made by Rep. McCollum will benefit Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District by investing in workforce development:

• Project: Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest's Apprenticeship Pathways to Resolve Inequity for Access ($2,000,000)
  Description: Expanding a workforce pipeline of middle and high school students, high school graduates, and other young adult candidates for construction, manufacturing, and industrial Registered Apprenticeship programs through partnerships with community organizations, public and charter school educators, employers, associations, unions, and advocacy groups in order to target underserved populations in Minnesota's 4th district.

"The funding secured by Congresswoman McCollum in the Labor Health and Human Services appropriations bill for Fiscal year 2022 will provide critical resources to support FTI-UM in building a sustainable pipeline of new candidates for registered apprenticeships," said Jeff Stark, District Council 82 and Finishing Trades Institute of the Upper Midwest's Board of Trustees Co-Chair. "This project continues the expansion of a diversity driven workforce development project targeting underserved populations in Minnesota. 47.6% of FTIUM apprentices are women and/or people of color. The Congresswoman's leadership to secure funding builds on the school's success at providing equity to future career candidates and the ability to have sizeable impact on the underserved communities in the twin cities, Greater Minnesota, and Western Wisconsin. We look forward to our continued partnership with Congresswoman McCollum and are grateful for her investment in this critical project."

• Project: St. Catherine University's Advancing Scientific Excellence Initiative ($800,000)
  Description: Providing critical technology and equipment upgrades to Mendel Hall, ready to execute upon receipt of funds, that will vastly enhance student learning and research experience for women undergraduate students in STEM fields. As a Minority Serving Institution whose student body is 94% women, 42% of whom identify as BIPOC, the university seeks to deliver premier education and training in the sciences to address the underrepresentation of women and people of color in STEM education and professions. These equipment and technological upgrades will support efforts to meet the growing demand both locally and nationally for diverse research teams to drive scientific innovation and discovery.

"Providing women access to an education in the sciences is vital to our world and why the sciences are a core part of a St. Catherine education," said Becky Roloff, President of St. Catherine University. "As one of only eight women's institutions that is designated a minority serving institution, this project will prepare a diverse pipeline of women for impactful scientific careers and meets the growing demand for female professionals in STEM fields locally and nationally. We are thrilled that Representative McCollum shares our commitment to diverse women scientists and has included critical scientific equipment upgrades at St. Kate's as one of her Community Project Funding requests."

Background:

For 2022, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill provides $213.6 billion, an increase of $15.3 billion – 7.7 percent – above 2021.

With this historic increase, the legislation:

• Creates and sustains good-paying American jobs through investments in job training, apprenticeship programs, and worker protection
  • Includes McCollum language encouraging the coordination of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and career and technical education (CTE) efforts at the federal, state, tribal and local level to prepare our national workforce for high-demand careers in manufacturing, engineering, and information technology
• Grows opportunity with transformative investments in education, including record funding for high-poverty schools and students with disabilities, and strong increases for programs that expand access to post-secondary education
  • Includes McCollum language to provide assistance to states and higher education institutions in providing mental health and academic support services to at-risk students due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Supports middle class and working families with increased funding for child care and development programs, Head Start, and preschool development grants
• Strengthens lifesaving biomedical research with increased funding for the National Institutes of Health, including funding to establish the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health
• Bolsters our public health infrastructure with more resources for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and for states and local governments to strengthen infrastructure and capacity
• Addresses our nation's most urgent health crises, including maternal health, mental health, gun violence, and opioid abuse, while making strides to reduce persistent and unacceptable health disparities
  • Includes McCollum language supporting prevention efforts to address the increased rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and expanding access to essential services
• Advances equal treatment for women by increasing funding for the range of health services, including family planning, covered by Title X
• Invests in our federal trust and treaty responsibilities to provide for the health and education of Native Americans
  • Includes increases requested by McCollum for K-12 Indian Education, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Native language preservation, and the Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country
• Includes a $10 million increase, for a total of $755 million, for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) to help fund the more than 1,100 Community Action Agencies nationwide helping American families struggling with poverty

Full list of McCollum-secured CPFs:

Rep. McCollum's full statement on the passage of the FY 22 funding agreement is available here. In keeping with the Appropriations Committee's commitment to transparency, information on Rep. McCollum's Community Project Funding requests is available here.

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