STEM Pathways for the Future Act

The STEM Pathways for the Future Act would (1) require the National Science Foundation (NSF) Director to create a grant program to establish STEM apprenticeship programs outside of four-year colleges, and (2) establish an interagency task force to catalog and report on federal programs focused on career development and training in STEM. The NSF grant program would be competitive and favor “priority recipients” such as community colleges, minority-serving institutions, apprenticeship programs registered under the National Apprenticeship Act, and public-private partnerships focused on STEM career development. The accompanying interagency task force would identify relevant federal programs (apprenticeships, community colleges, and minority-serving institutions) and report to Congress within one year, after which the task force would terminate. The bill aims to broaden access to STEM workforce pathways and foster collaboration between public entities and private sector STEM employers. Potential impact includes expanding STEM apprenticeship opportunities beyond traditional four-year institutions, strengthening industry-education partnerships, and increasing focus on underrepresented or underserved education sectors through established eligibility categories.