[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 30, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H2012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING MEAN HIGHER ACHIEVEMENT AND BETTER JOBS

  (Mr. FORD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, on April 24 the U.S. Department of Education 
released a study that has serious implications for the state of our 
economy and for the welfare of all Americans. The study found that 
education and training are strongly associated with higher productivity 
and higher paying jobs. College graduates, according to the study, earn 
50 percent more than high school graduates, and twice more than that of 
high school dropouts.
  Workers who improve their skills through job training have higher 
earnings, as do those who have a record of higher academic achievement. 
One of the more disturbing findings, Mr. Speaker, is that the leading 
productivity the United States has enjoyed for decades may be slipping 
because we are not doing a good enough job in educating our children, 
we are not equipping them with the tools they need to be viable job 
holders in the global marketplace.
  Today it is more important than ever that we provide our people with 
the skills they need to keep America competitive going into the next 
century. When ``A Nation at Risk'' was released in 1983, it sent a 
wake-up call to the Nation. At every level of government, we renewed 
our commitment to education to conquer the rising tide of mediocrity 
and education that threatened our national and economic security.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, we have a choice. We can turn our backs on our 
human capital or invest in our future and inspire our young people for 
the challenges they and all people will face in this next century.

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