[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 44 (Wednesday, April 20, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2884, SCHOOL-TO-WORK OPPORTUNITIES ACT OF 
                                  1994

  Mr. FORD of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the previous order of 
the House of Tuesday, April 20, 1994, I call up the conference report 
on the bill (H.R. 2884) to establish a national framework for the 
development of school-to-work opportunities systems in all States, and 
for other purposes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pomeroy). Pursuant to the order of the 
House of Tuesday, April 19, 1994, the conference report is considered 
as read.
  (For conference report and statement, see proceedings of the House of 
April 19, 1994, at page H2452.)
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Ford] will 
be recognized for 30 minutes, and the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. 
Goodling] will be recognized for 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Ford].
  (Mr. FORD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. FORD of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report on H.R. 2884, 
the School-to-Work Opportunities Act.
  Initially, I want to point out that we have had wonderful bipartisan 
cooperation on this legislation. The cooperation of the committee's 
ranking member [Mr. Goodling] as well as that of his fellow conferee 
[Mr. Gunderson] was invaluable. Also, Mr. Kildee who chairs our 
Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education, and Mr. 
Williams who chairs our Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations, 
made important contributions. I also want to thank the staff on both 
sides, Omer Waddles, Jon Weintraub, Colleen McGinnis, Mary Gardner, and 
Tom Kelly who worked long hours to complete this project.
  The goal of this legislation is to expand career and education 
options for the 75 percent of high school students who do not receive a 
college degree. By providing flexibility in establishing school-to-work 
systems, we expect that States and school districts will be able to 
build on the many successful, innovative programs they already have 
implemented.
  Under the school-to-work concept, educators, employers, and labor 
representatives develop partnerships in which high school juniors and 
seniors attend school part-time and go to work part-time. Their school 
course work complements their particular on-the-job experience, 
enhancing their qualifications in the eyes of potential employers. 
School-to-work participants receive not only a high school diploma, but 
a certificate of competency in the set of skills necessary for their 
chosen field. Alternatively, these young people go on to appropriate 
postsecondary education or training. At the end, they will have a ready 
answer for employers whose first question is always, ``Do you have any 
experience?''
  The bill would authorize the School-to-Work Program, to be 
administered jointly by the Departments of Labor and Education, for 5 
years, including $300 million in fiscal 1995 and such sums as may be 
necessary in 1996 through 1999.
  The Federal role in school-to-work is to provide grants to States and 
localities to establish these partnerships, and to establish a flexible 
framework to ensure that students receive the kind of training that 
will launch them on successful careers.
  The basic components, developed by States, include work-based and 
school-based learning, and coordination of the two.
  Under work-based learning, students would receive job training, paid 
work experience, workplace mentoring and instruction in skills and in a 
variety of elements of an industry. At school, students would explore 
career opportunities with counselors. They would receive instruction in 
a career major, selected no later than 11th grade. The study program's 
academic and skill standards would be those contained in the 
administration's recently passed school reform bill, H.R. 1804, the 
Goals 2000: Educate America Act. Typically, their course work would 
include at least 1 year of postsecondary education and periodic 
evaluations to identify strengths and weaknesses.
  The coordinating activities involve employers, schools, and students, 
who together match the students with work opportunities. Teachers, 
mentors, and counselors also will receive program instruction.
  States' school-to-work plans, submitted for Federal implementation 
grants, would have to detail how the State would meet program 
requirements. They also would explain how the plans would extend the 
opportunity to participate to poor, low-achieving and disabled students 
and dropouts.
  The conferees resolved several important differences between the 
House and Senate bills. The final language assigns to Governors the 
authority to apply for Federal school-to-work funds. But their 
applications are to reflect cooperation and collaboration with the 
State entities that actually administer the State's school-to-work 
program. We would allow officials who disagree with a Governor's 
application to include their concerns.
  Another area of concern is whether school-to-work programs include 
paid work for school-to-work participants. Under the conference 
agreement, the Secretaries of Labor and Education would give preference 
to applications that include paid work.
  An important theme of this bill is its coordination with other 
Federal training initiatives such as tech prep, cooperative education, 
vocational education, and the just-enacted Goals 2000: Educate America 
Act. The bill would require the Secretaries to disseminate information 
on the model programs throughout the country using existing structures, 
such as those established by the Job Training Partnership Act and the 
Educational Resources Information Center Clearinghouse.
  Ten percent of the funds authorized by the bill--$30 million in 
1995--would be set aside for school-to-work programs in high-poverty 
areas.
  This bill is an important blueprint to help us build a high-skilled 
work force for the 21st century. In line with other proposals developed 
by the Clinton administration, it does not establish new Federal 
bureaucracies but makes States and localities partners with the Federal 
Government in achieving goals crucial to improving the lives of our 
citizens.
  Mr. Speaker, with the leadership of the President and his Cabinet, 
and the hard work of the Department staffs and our committee staff, we 
are ready to assist millions of young people get their fair shot at the 
American dream--a good wage in return for skilled work that employers 
need.
  I urge my colleagues to support the conference report.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  (Mr. GOODLING asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference agreement on H.R. 
2884, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994.
  This legislation is designed to bring together partnerships of 
employers, educators, workers, and others for the purpose of building a 
high quality school-to-work transition system in the United States.
  Such a system will prepare this Nation's youth for careers in high-
skill, high-wage jobs.
  It has become an all too well-known statistic in recent years, that 
only about 50 percent, or approximately 1.4 million of this Nation's 
youth enter some form of postsecondary education the fall after they 
graduate from high school. Of these, only about half successfully 
complete a baccalaureate degree. For the reminder, representing three 
out of four U.S. youth, a rough and often painful transition to a 
career begins.
  Yet our U.S. educational system continues to be disproportionately 
geared to meeting the needs of college-bound youth. There is simply no 
mechanism in most of our schools to link young people to employers.
  While not identical, the conference agreement we are considering 
today, shares many of the key components of legislation that my 
colleague from Wisconsin, Mr. Gunderson and I introduced last year, to 
create a system of school-to-work transition and youth apprenticeship 
programs in the United States.
  Both measures provide considerable flexibility at the State and local 
levels, allowing communities to develop programs that meet their 
individual economic and labor market needs.
  Both are built around partnerships at the local level, that bring 
employers, schools, teachers, workers, students, and the community 
together to design the system.
  Both require the integration of school-based and work-based learning.
  Both are designed so that the successful completion of a School-to-
Work Program will lead to a high school diploma, a portable certificate 
of competency in an occupation, a certificate or diploma from a 
postsecondary institution--if appropriate--and employment in a high-
skill, high-paying job.
  And both are built on successful efforts in progressive States and 
communities--such as programs found both in the York Youth 
Apprenticeship Program, and in Project Connections--undertaken by 
involved employers and the school district of the city of York--where 
young students are provided with challenging academic curricula and at 
the same time engaged in related career development opportunities.
  Under this conference agreement, we were successful in increasing the 
emphasis on serving youth through career awareness, exploration, and 
counseling programs in the middle school years, and even earlier where 
possible.
  We also increased the strong role that employers must play in the 
development and implementation of this system.
  While concern continues to exist that this legislation will result in 
just one more new program--the conference agreement addresses this 
concern by adding a sunset to the legislation specifying that this 
program will end in the year 2001.
  Probably one of the greatest strengths of this legislation is that 
while it does not eliminate any existing job training or education 
programs--it will serve as a coordinating mechanism by which existing 
education and training programs will be integrated at the State and 
local levels.
  States and local partnerships are allowed to receive only one 5-year 
implementation grant--or venture capital--to be used to leverage change 
in existing education and training programs. And they must show how 
these new moneys will be integrated with existing programs.
  Further, a broad use of waivers under the legislation will result in 
linkages between programs, never before possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I truly feel that this is an innovative and very 
important piece of legislation, that will result in positive change in 
how we educate our youth and prepare them for the world of work.
  I am proud to have a part of its very bipartisan development. This 
adds to Chairman Ford's Tech Prep Program which has been working very 
well for several years in my district.
  Mr. Speaker, I, therefore, urge my colleagues to join me in support 
of its passage.
  Mr. GUNDERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the 
conference agreement on H.R. 2884, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act 
of 1994.
  Similar to legislation that my colleague from Pennsylvania, Mr. 
Goodling and I introduced last year, this bill is designed to establish 
high quality, work-based learning programs throughout the United 
States, that train youth for skilled, high wage careers which do not 
require a 4-year college degree.
  Establishment of such a school-to-work transition system in this 
country, would address a serious inadequacy in this Nation's 
educational system, as well as significantly improve the quality of the 
U.S. work force--enabling the United States to better compete in the 
global marketplace.
  Demographic trends, technological change, increased international 
competition, a changing workplace, and inadequacy of our U.S. education 
and training systems have resulted in shortages of skilled workers, and 
an excess of unskilled, hard-to-employ individuals.
  A significant proportion of U.S. youth graduate from high school with 
inadequate basic skills and totally lacking in work-readiness 
competencies.
  Yet the United States is the only major industrial nation lacking 
formal system for helping youth make the transition from school to 
work.
  Very little attention is paid in our U.S. educational system to 
preparing youth for the workplace.
  Like our earlier legislation, the conference agreement we are 
considering today has the goal of expanding the range of education and 
career options for the 70 to 75 percent of American youth who will not 
complete a 4-year B.A. degree.
  By providing a broad degree of flexibility in establishment of 
school-to-work systems in States and localities, the legislation builds 
on successful efforts already undertaken by innovative States and 
communities--such as those efforts in Wisconsin--while providing 
Federal guidance on the establishment of a national school-to-work 
policy.
  This legislation would provide development grants to all States for 
the early planning and development of State-wide school-to-work 
efforts.
  The bill further provides one-time, 5-year implementation grants to 
States who are further along in their school-to-work efforts--to aid in 
the actual establishment and expansion of State and local school-to-
work programs.
  The implementation grants, expected to go out to States in waves--
have been aptly described as venture capital--a one-time infusion of 
Federal assistance that will leverage change in existing programs--
ultimately resulting in broad-based change in the way we teach and 
prepare our youth for the world of work.
  At the heat of this system are local partnerships of employers, 
educators, workers, students, and the community--who will build local 
school-to-work programs to meet the economic and educational needs of 
their individual communities.
  The active and vital role of employers in the development and 
implementation of this system is stressed throughout the legislation--
and was further strengthened in the conference agreement.
  Under the proposal, school-based and work-based learning must be 
integrated, with students participating in school-to-work programs 
gaining valuable work experience, under the guidance of a workplace 
mentor.
  Under the conference agreement, career awareness, exploration, and 
counseling opportunities are encouraged for all students--beginning as 
early as possible, but no later than in the middle school years--in 
order that all youth have a sense of the opportunities that lay ahead 
combined with the right education.
  Finally, and most importantly, student completing this program would 
receive a high school diploma, a certificate of competency in an 
occupation, entry into appropriate postsecondary education--where 
appropriate--and/or entry into a skilled, high-paying job with career 
potential.
  Mr. Speaker, I feel that the legislation before us today moves us in 
the right direction in meeting the needs of noncollege bound youth--
whose needs have been so inadequately met in recent years.
  I feel it strikes the right balance: involving all the necessary 
players--at every level; providing maximum flexibility to States and 
particularly to local programs to craft programs that meet individual 
community needs; and leveraging change in existing programs through the 
one-time infusion of new money, and through waivers of regulatory and 
statutory provisions in existing Federal education and training 
programs.
  This is not business as usual, and as a result, I support passage of 
the conference agreement on H.R. 2884, and urge my colleagues to do the 
same.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference 
report on the School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994.
  In today's highly competitive global economy, business performance is 
increasingly reliant upon the knowledge and skills of its workers.
  Changes in business structures and increased use of technology in the 
workplace require that today's entrants into the workforce be better 
education and more highly skilled.
  Mr. Speaker, I have some exciting school-to-work programs operating 
in my district which are successfully preparing high school students 
for the workplace.
  A joint partnership among General Motors, the UAW and Flint schools 
prepares students to enter skilled trades through a program that offers 
challenging academic and work-based components.
  Students in the manufacturing training partnership are learning 
skills that will lead to high-skilled, high-wage jobs.
  Other students from the Flint area are able to gain skills through a 
cooperative effort between Hurley Hospital and the Genesee Area Skills 
Center.
  Mr. Speaker, these programs are not only having a positive effect on 
the Students involved in them, they are having a positive effect on the 
community at large.
  In fact, school-to-work programs in Flint are considered an integral 
part of local economic development.
  I am pleased to support this legislation because I have seen the 
difference school-to-work programs make in students' lives.
  The School-to-Work Opportunities Act will enable high school students 
to enter the workplace better prepared by establishing, for the first 
time, a national framework for a school-to-work system.
  Programs created under this system through broad-based partnerships 
in States and communities will enable all students to participate in 
education and training programs that will:
  Better prepare them for a first job;
  Enable them to earn portable credentials; and
  Increase their opportunities for meaningful secondary and 
postsecondary education.
  Mr. Speaker, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act will help 
communities develop and implement school-to-work programs that will 
increase opportunities for all students to enter the workplace ready to 
perform.
  I urge support of the conference agreement.

                              {time}  1110

  Mr. FORD of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pomeroy). Without objection, the 
previous question is ordered on the conference report.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the conference report.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. FORD of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground 
that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum 
is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
  The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 339, 
nays 79, not voting 14, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 128]

                               YEAS--339

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Andrews (ME)
     Andrews (NJ)
     Andrews (TX)
     Applegate
     Baesler
     Baker (LA)
     Barca
     Barcia
     Barlow
     Barrett (WI)
     Barton
     Bateman
     Becerra
     Beilenson
     Bentley
     Bereuter
     Berman
     Bevill
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop
     Blackwell
     Bliley
     Blute
     Boehlert
     Bonilla
     Bonior
     Borski
     Boucher
     Brewster
     Brooks
     Browder
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Bryant
     Buyer
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Camp
     Canady
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carr
     Castle
     Chapman
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clinger
     Clyburn
     Coleman
     Collins (IL)
     Collins (MI)
     Condit
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Coppersmith
     Costello
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Cunningham
     Danner
     Darden
     de la Garza
     Deal
     DeFazio
     DeLauro
     Dellums
     Derrick
     Deutsch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Dooley
     Durbin
     Edwards (CA)
     Edwards (TX)
     Ehlers
     Emerson
     English
     Eshoo
     Evans
     Farr
     Fawell
     Fazio
     Fields (LA)
     Filner
     Fingerhut
     Flake
     Foglietta
     Ford (MI)
     Ford (TN)
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (CT)
     Frost
     Furse
     Gallegly
     Gejdenson
     Gephardt
     Geren
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Glickman
     Gonzalez
     Goodling
     Gordon
     Goss
     Green
     Greenwood
     Gunderson
     Gutierrez
     Hall (OH)
     Hall (TX)
     Hamburg
     Hamilton
     Harman
     Hastings
     Hayes
     Hefner
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hoagland
     Hobson
     Hochbrueckner
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Horn
     Houghton
     Hoyer
     Huffington
     Hughes
     Hutto
     Hyde
     Inslee
     Jacobs
     Jefferson
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (SD)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnston
     Kanjorski
     Kasich
     Kennedy
     Kennelly
     Kildee
     Kim
     Kleczka
     Klein
     Klink
     Kolbe
     Kopetski
     Kreidler
     LaFalce
     Lambert
     Lancaster
     Lantos
     LaRocco
     Laughlin
     Lazio
     Leach
     Lehman
     Levin
     Levy
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (GA)
     Lipinski
     Lloyd
     Long
     Lowey
     Machtley
     Maloney
     Mann
     Manton
     Margolies-Mezvinsky
     Markey
     Martinez
     Matsui
     Mazzoli
     McCloskey
     McCrery
     McCurdy
     McDermott
     McHale
     McHugh
     McKeon
     McKinney
     McMillan
     Meehan
     Meek
     Menendez
     Meyers
     Mfume
     Michel
     Miller (CA)
     Miller (FL)
     Mineta
     Minge
     Mink
     Moakley
     Molinari
     Mollohan
     Montgomery
     Moran
     Morella
     Murphy
     Murtha
     Myers
     Nadler
     Neal (MA)
     Neal (NC)
     Nussle
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Orton
     Owens
     Pallone
     Parker
     Pastor
     Payne (NJ)
     Payne (VA)
     Pelosi
     Penny
     Peterson (FL)
     Peterson (MN)
     Petri
     Pickett
     Pickle
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Portman
     Poshard
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Quillen
     Quinn
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Rangel
     Ravenel
     Reed
     Regula
     Reynolds
     Richardson
     Roemer
     Rogers
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Rose
     Rostenkowski
     Roth
     Roukema
     Roybal-Allard
     Rush
     Sabo
     Sanders
     Sangmeister
     Santorum
     Sarpalius
     Sawyer
     Saxton
     Schenk
     Schiff
     Schroeder
     Schumer
     Scott
     Serrano
     Sharp
     Shays
     Shepherd
     Sisisky
     Skaggs
     Skeen
     Skelton
     Slattery
     Slaughter
     Smith (IA)
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (OR)
     Smith (TX)
     Snowe
     Spence
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stenholm
     Stokes
     Strickland
     Studds
     Stupak
     Sundquist
     Swett
     Synar
     Talent
     Tanner
     Tauzin
     Tejeda
     Thomas (CA)
     Thomas (WY)
     Thompson
     Thornton
     Thurman
     Torkildsen
     Torres
     Torricelli
     Towns
     Traficant
     Tucker
     Unsoeld
     Upton
     Valentine
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Volkmer
     Vucanovich
     Walsh
     Waters
     Watt
     Waxman
     Weldon
     Wheat
     Williams
     Wilson
     Wise
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wyden
     Wynn
     Yates
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)
     Zeliff

                                NAYS--79

     Allard
     Archer
     Armey
     Bachus (AL)
     Baker (CA)
     Ballenger
     Barrett (NE)
     Bartlett
     Boehner
     Bunning
     Burton
     Callahan
     Coble
     Collins (GA)
     Combest
     Cox
     Crane
     Crapo
     DeLay
     Dickey
     Doolittle
     Dornan
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Everett
     Ewing
     Fields (TX)
     Fowler
     Franks (NJ)
     Gekas
     Gingrich
     Goodlatte
     Grams
     Hancock
     Hansen
     Hastert
     Hefley
     Herger
     Hoke
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Inglis
     Inhofe
     Istook
     Johnson, Sam
     King
     Kingston
     Klug
     Knollenberg
     Kyl
     Lewis (FL)
     Lightfoot
     Linder
     Livingston
     Manzullo
     McCandless
     McCollum
     McInnis
     Mica
     Moorhead
     Oxley
     Packard
     Paxon
     Porter
     Roberts
     Rohrabacher
     Royce
     Schaefer
     Sensenbrenner
     Shaw
     Shuster
     Solomon
     Stearns
     Stump
     Taylor (MS)
     Taylor (NC)
     Walker
     Zimmer

                             NOT VOTING--14

     Bacchus (FL)
     Clay
     Engel
     Fish
     Gallo
     Grandy
     Kaptur
     McDade
     McNulty
     Ridge
     Rowland
     Swift
     Washington
     Whitten

                              {time}  1134

  Mr. HERGER, Mrs. FOWLER, Mr. LIVINGSTON, and Mr. TAYLOR of 
Mississippi changed their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
  Mr. HUGHES, Mrs. VUCANOVICH, Mr. QUILLEN, and Mr. ZELIFF changed 
their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the conference report was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________