U.S. Rep. Frederica S. Wilson, a former school principal, was elected chair of the Higher Education and Workforce Investment (HEWI) Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and Labor on Monday.
“I am thrilled to take on this important responsibility,” Wilson said in a statement. “As chair of the HEWI Subcommittee, I will seek to help make attaining a quality degree more accessible for all, which includes robust investment in historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions, fostering a more inclusive environment on our nation’s campuses, and stronger support for first-generation, low-income, and minority students.”
Wilson added that she would work to address the student loan crisis, reverse “harmful” policies under former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and support alternatives to college, like career and technical education, apprenticeship programs, and vocational rehabilitation.
“The pandemic has dramatically reshaped our economy from top to bottom,” she said. “My goal is to help provide workers access to the tools and support needed to thrive in this rapidly changing landscape.”