Helping Young Workers Earn Their First Credential, Not More Debt

Description

This bill establishes a First Credential Program to help students and young workers obtain an initial industry-recognized certificate or license tied to real jobs. This bill pushes education dollars toward workforce-ready skills instead of endless degrees and bloated academia. CPAC supports career-focused education and pathways to work over debt-fueled higher-ed expansion and supported this bill. The Senate passed this bill on 2025-03-05 by a vote of 20-5. The House passed this bill on 2025-02-06 by a vote of 71-0. The bill later became law.