H.R. 4965 — Counseling for Career Choice Act

This section revises the allowable activities for career guidance and school counseling programs under the well-rounded education component of Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A of the ESEA) by replacing the prior heading ("college and career guidance and counseling programs") and three example activities (postsecondary awareness and exploration, counselor training on labor market information, and financial literacy) with a new heading ("career guidance and school counseling programs") and 11 example activities. The new activities emphasize identifying regional workforce trends in collaboration with state and local workforce boards (as defined in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), developing counselor access to such information, professional development and certification for counselors, postsecondary pathways such as registered apprenticeships, internships, dual enrollment, and credentials-leading programs, partnerships with one-stop centers, leveraging artificial intelligence for career development, and evaluating participant outcomes. (Thus, local educational agencies must use a portion of their formula grant allocations for these expanded counseling activities coordinated with community and workforce entities.)