US agencies put career pathways and teacher training behind new K-12 grants
The latest competitions under the ED-DOL partnership cover career exploration, workforce readiness, educator preparation, literacy, and registered apprenticeships.
A teacher leads a lesson in a U.S. classroom as the Departments of Education and Labor open new K-12 grant competitions focused on career pathways and teacher preparation
The U.S. Departments of Education and Labor have opened two Fiscal Year 2026 grant competitions focused on K-12 career pathways, workforce readiness, and teacher preparation, extending a federal partnership designed to align education and labor programs.
The competitions cover the new Career Pathways Exploration program and the Teacher Quality Partnership program. The Department of Education says the two notices are the sixth and seventh grant competitions announced through its Elementary and Secondary Education partnership with the Department of Labor.
The move comes as federal education policy continues to place more emphasis on career readiness, credentials, apprenticeships, and state-led workforce systems. Under the partnership, the Department of Labor will help manage grant funds, provide technical assistance, and connect education programs with labor programs already administered by the agency.
Career Pathways Exploration opens as new competitive program
Career Pathways Exploration is a new competitive grant program using Student Support and Academic Enrichment funds.
The Department of Education says the program will provide grants to states to build capacity for career exploration within statewide career pathways and workforce readiness programs. The competition is designed to support activities that expose students to workforce settings and career pathway options aligned with state priorities.
ays the competitions are intended to connect academic learning with career-ready credentials and teacher recruitment: “Together with the Department of Labor, we must bolster our teacher pipeline and provide K-12 students with opportunities to develop not only academic skills, but also career-ready credentials and hands-on experience that align with the evolving demands of today’s workforce.
“These grants will encourage greater integration of career pathways into education and enhance the recruitment of our next generation of teachers, enabling states to better prepare students for the path that suits them best.”
The competition uses Secretary McMahon’s Supplemental Priority to support grantees working on career pathways and workforce readiness.
Teacher Quality Partnership shifts toward workforce and literacy priorities
The Teacher Quality Partnership competition will support educator preparation, teacher quality, professional development, and recruitment into the teaching profession.
The Department of Education says the latest TQP competition will use Secretary McMahon’s Supplemental Priorities on career pathways and workforce readiness, evidence-based literacy, and meaningful learning. The department also says the program supports the use of registered apprenticeships.
The TQP program is designed to improve student achievement, improve the preparation of prospective and new teachers, support professional development, hold teacher preparation programs at higher education institutions accountable for state certification and licensure requirements, and recruit qualified individuals into teaching.
Dr. Henry Mack, Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employment and Training Administration, links the competitions to the administration’s workforce agenda: “The purpose of education in our system of government is twofold: to cultivate virtuous citizens and a skilled workforce.”
“Both of these grant competitions aim at equipping K-12 districts and schools with the resources to grow their own talent and help guarantee that education for democratic citizenship and the reindustrialization agenda of the administration remain a priority for years to come.”
The department also uses the announcement to contrast the competition with previous TQP priorities, saying the current administration is focused on support that educators find “meaningful and relevant to their work.”
ED-DOL partnership continues grant alignment
The Department of Education says it has announced ten Interagency Agreements with five agencies to change how federal education programs are delivered and support the administration’s commitment to return education decisions to states.
The ED-DOL partnership is formalized through an Interagency Agreement. Under that arrangement, the Department of Labor will help administer grant activity while connecting education programs with career pathways, workforce readiness, and teacher preparation programs.
The Department of Education says grantees will receive additional guidance as implementation continues.
