Counseling for Career Choice Act

This bill, the Counseling for Career Choice Act, would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to broaden the role of career counseling within the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (SSAEG). The revised language outlines an expanded, multi-faceted framework for school career guidance and counseling programs. It directs activities such as identifying postsecondary options and regional workforce trends, building infrastructure for counselors to access workforce data, providing financial aid and personal counseling information, offering professional development and potential career-certification opportunities for counselors, expanding postsecondary opportunities (including internships, apprenticeships, dual enrollment, and credential programs), fostering partnerships with One-Stop Career Centers, leveraging technology (including AI) for career development, and evaluating outcomes of counseling programs. The aim is to strengthen guidance services to help students align education with career pathways and postsecondary opportunities. In short, the bill would elevate and formalize a comprehensive set of career counseling activities within K-12 grants, encouraging data-informed planning, collaboration with workforce entities, and explicit attention to postsecondary pathways and long-term outcomes. It does not specify new funding levels but would redirect grant activities toward a broader, more integrated career development framework.