[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 416 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 416

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 27, 2018

   Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Portman, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Young, Mr. 
   Barrasso, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Brown, Ms. 
  Cantwell, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Casey, Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. 
    Daines, Mr. Donnelly, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Enzi, Mrs. 
    Feinstein, Ms. Harris, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. 
 Heitkamp, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Isakson, Mr. King, 
 Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Markey, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Perdue, Mr. 
Peters, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Rounds, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Smith, Ms. Stabenow, 
    Mr. Thune, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Wyden) 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 who are prepared for 
        skilled professions;
Whereas, according to Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, 84 percent of 
        executives agree that there is a talent shortage in manufacturing in the 
        United States, including talent for front-line worker jobs such as 
        machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, and technicians;
Whereas career and technical education (referred to in this preamble as ``CTE'') 
        ensures that competitive and 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, mathematics, nursing, 
        allied health, construction, information technology, energy 
        sustainability, and many other career fields that are vital in keeping 
        the United States competitive in the global economy;
Whereas CTE helps the United States meet the very real and immediate challenges 
        of economic development, student achievement, and global 
        competitiveness;
Whereas the United States has 30,000,000 jobs with an average income of $55,000 
        per year that do not require a bachelor's degree yet increasingly 
        require some level of postsecondary education;
Whereas nearly 12,000,000 students are enrolled in CTE across the country with 
        CTE programs in thousands of CTE centers, comprehensive high schools, 
        career academies, and CTE high schools, and nearly 1,600 2-year 
        colleges;
Whereas CTE 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 CTE affords students the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and 
        credentials needed to secure careers in growing, high-demand fields;
Whereas secondary CTE is associated with a lower probability of dropping out of 
        high school and a higher likelihood of graduating on-time;
Whereas CTE students were significantly more likely than non-CTE students to 
        report having developed problem-solving, project completion, research, 
        math, college application, work-related, communication, time management, 
        and critical thinking skills during high school;
Whereas, according to an American Federation of Teachers poll, 94 percent of 
        parents approve of expanding access to CTE and other programs that 
        prepare students for jobs;
Whereas students at schools with highly integrated rigorous academic and CTE 
        programs have significantly higher achievement in reading, mathematics, 
        and science than students at schools with less integrated programs; and
Whereas February 23, 2018, marks the 101st anniversary of the signing of the Act 
        of February 23, 1917 (commonly known as the ``Smith-Hughes Vocational 
        Education Act of 1917'') (39 Stat. 929, chapter 114), which was the 
        first major Federal investment in secondary CTE and laid the foundation 
        for the bipartisan, bicameral support for CTE that continues as of 
        February 2018: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates February 2018 as ``Career and Technical 
        Education Month'' to celebrate career and technical education 
        across the United States;
            (2) supports the goals and ideals of Career and Technical 
        Education month;
            (3) recognizes the importance of career and technical 
        education in preparing a well-educated and skilled workforce in 
        the United States; and
            (4) encourages educators, guidance and career development 
        professionals, administrators, and parents to promote career 
        and technical education as a respected option for students.
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