[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 94 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 94

   Supporting the goals and ideals of Career and Technical Education 
                                 Month.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 3, 2015

  Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Portman, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Isakson, Mrs. 
     Murray, Mr. Coons, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Brown, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. 
   Blumenthal, Mr. Boozman, and Mr. Schumer) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Supporting the goals and ideals of Career and Technical Education 
                                 Month.

Whereas a competitive global economy requires workers trained in skilled 
        professions;
Whereas according to a report by the National Association of Manufacturers, 80 
        percent of respondents indicated a moderate to severe shortage of 
        qualified skilled production employees, including front-line workers, 
        such as machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, and 
        technicians;
Whereas career and technical education is a tried and true solution to ensure 
        that competitive skilled workers are ready, willing, and capable of 
        holding jobs in high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand career fields, such 
        as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (commonly known as 
        ``STEM'') disciplines, nursing, allied health, construction, information 
        technology, energy sustainability, and many other fields that are vital 
        to keeping the United States competitive in the global economy;
Whereas career and technical education helps the United States meet the very 
        real and immediate challenges of economic development, student 
        achievement, and global competitiveness;
Whereas 14,000,000 students are enrolled in career and technical education, 
        which exists in every State and includes programs in nearly 1,300 public 
        high schools and 1,700 2-year colleges;
Whereas 10 of the 20 fastest growing occupations in the United States require an 
        associate's degree or a lesser credential, 13 of the 20 occupations in 
        the United States with the greatest number of projected new jobs require 
        on-the-job training and an associate's degree or certificate, and nearly 
        all occupations in the United States require real-world skills that can 
        be mastered through career and technical education;
Whereas career and technical education matches employability skills with 
        workforce demand and provides relevant academic and technical coursework 
        leading to industry-recognized credentials for secondary, postsecondary, 
        and adult learners;
Whereas career and technical education affords students the opportunity to gain 
        the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to secure careers in 
        growing, high-demand fields;
Whereas secondary school students participating in career and technical 
        education are significantly more likely than students not participating 
        in career and technical education to report that they had developed 
        skills during high school in problem solving, project completion, 
        research, mathematics, applying to colleges, work-related contexts, 
        communication, time management, and critical thinking;
Whereas students at schools with highly integrated rigorous academic and career 
        and technical education programs have significantly higher achievement 
        in reading, mathematics, and science than students at schools with less 
        integrated programs; and
Whereas the Association for Career and Technical Education has designated 
        February as ``Career and Technical Education Month'' to celebrate career 
        and technical education across the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of Career and Technical 
        Education Month;
            (2) recognizes the importance of career and technical 
        education in preparing a well-educated and skilled workforce in 
        the United States; and
            (3) encourages educators, counselors, and administrators to 
        promote career and technical education as an option for 
        students.
                                 <all>