The Data for American Jobs Act of 2023 amends federal education research laws to strengthen the connection between education and workforce development, with a particular focus on career and technical education. The bill modifies the Institute of Education Sciences and related research centers to prioritize career and technical education research, data collection, and analysis alongside traditional academic education metrics. It requires the education statistics center to collect data on student access to career and technical education programs, workforce outcomes for students in these programs, and career pathway completion rates, with particular emphasis on using employment and wage records from unemployment insurance and census data.
The legislation establishes a competitive grant program awarding up to $100,000,000 annually starting in fiscal year 2025 to states, governors, and other eligible data governance entities to design and implement statewide longitudinal data systems that link student information across K-12 education, postsecondary education, and workforce development programs. These data systems must comply with federal privacy protections while enabling states and school districts to track student progress through career pathways and measure achievement gaps. The bill also directs various federal education research centers and technical assistance providers to incorporate career and technical education expertise and priorities into their work, and requires better coordination among federal agencies including Labor, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Agriculture.