Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act of 2025
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Would require Small Business Development Centers and Women's Business Centers to give small businesses educational information about hiring graduates of career and technical education (CTE) programs — such as trade, vocational, and technical schools — and to connect those programs with small businesses seeking qualified workers.
The bill would create a two-way bridge: small businesses learn where to find skilled CTE graduates, and CTE students learn how to access small-business resources to start or grow their own firms.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend the Small Business Act to add new responsibilities for Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Women's Business Centers (WBCs). Both types of centers would be required to provide educational information to small businesses on how to hire graduates of career and technical education (CTE) programs and on which CTE programs are relevant to their hiring needs. They would also be required to inform CTE programs about how students and graduates can use SBDC and WBC resources to start or expand a small business. Additionally, both center types would, as appropriate, connect small businesses with CTE programs to help students identify career opportunities.
The bill would also add a formal definition of "career and technical education" to the Small Business Act, tying it to the definition already used in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006. It makes no change to funding levels for SBDCs or WBCs and does not create a new grant program.
Key provisions
- 1Would require SBDCs to provide small businesses with educational information on hiring CTE graduates and on how CTE programs can satisfy their hiring needs.
- 2Would require SBDCs to inform CTE programs about how students and graduates can access SBDC resources to start or expand a small business.
- 3Would require SBDCs to connect small businesses with CTE programs, as appropriate, to help students identify career opportunities.
- 4Would impose the same three CTE outreach duties on Women's Business Centers, applying them specifically to women-owned and women-controlled small businesses.
- 5Would add a formal definition of 'career and technical education' to the Small Business Act, cross-referencing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.
Who would be affected
Small businesses seeking to fill skilled-trade and technical positions, Small Business Development Centers and Women's Business Centers nationwide that would carry out the new outreach duties, and students and graduates of career and technical education programs — such as community college technical programs and trade schools — who are looking for employment or entrepreneurship opportunities.
Why it matters
SBDCs and WBCs already serve millions of small businesses each year. Adding CTE-focused outreach to their mandated services would systematically expose small employers to a talent pipeline they may not know how to access, and would give CTE graduates a clearer path to small-business jobs and startup resources — without requiring either side to independently find the other.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Small Business Act (Sec. 2)
Adds a definition of 'career and technical education' and new CTE outreach duties for Small Business Development Centers and Women's Business Centers.
Agencies directed to act
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates implementing H.R. 1642 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025–2030 period, subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
H.R. 1642 would require Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Women's Business Centers (WBCs) to share information with small businesses about hiring graduates of career and technical education (CTE) programs, and to inform CTE students and graduates about resources for starting and expanding small businesses. CBO estimates implementation would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025–2030 period, noting that SBDCs and WBCs already frequently engage with universities and educational programs under current law. Any spending would be discretionary — meaning it depends on funds being appropriated by Congress — and CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
SBDCs and WBCs would integrate the new CTE outreach duties into their existing counseling and educational service activities. No new rulemaking process is specified; the new subparagraphs are added directly to the lists of services each center type must provide under the Small Business Act. Centers would determine the appropriate scope and format for connecting businesses with CTE programs on a case-by-case basis, as the bill uses "as appropriate" language for the direct-connection requirement. No reporting requirement or matching-fund provision is established.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill requires Small Business Development Centers and Women's Business Centers to provide educational information to small businesses about hiring graduates of career and technical education programs.
This includes, as appropriate, connecting small businesses with career and technical education programs to assist students and graduates of such programs with identifying career opportunities.
Legislative subjects
Business education; Commerce; Employee hiring; Higher education; Small business; Vocational and technical education; Women in business
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-36