[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 14, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1806-S1807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Portman, Ms. Baldwin, and Mr. 
        Young):
  S. 628. A bill to amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
Education Act of 2006 to raise the quality of career and technical 
education programs and to allow local eligible recipients to use 
funding to establish high-quality career academies; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, the development of a skilled workforce is 
essential to maintaining a robust economy and driving forward 
innovation throughout society. Investments in education remain more 
important now than ever. Today the United States is 12th in the world 
in the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds achieving post-high school 
degrees. We need to make changes that help keep students engaged in 
their futures while also ensuring our educational programs are 
adequately preparing students for the jobs of the 21st century. I 
firmly believe that a strong congressional commitment to strengthening 
career and technical education, CTE, throughout the country will help 
us achieve this goal.
  Career and technical education programs provide students with a 
valuable educational experience that benefits them during high school 
and throughout their careers. Student participation in CTE programs is 
linked to greater levels of student engagement and higher graduation 
rates. The U.S.

[[Page S1807]]

Department of Education announced that the average U.S. high school 
graduation rate is 83 percent, while the graduation rate for students 
in CTE concentrations is higher than 90 percent. Eighty-one percent of 
high school dropouts say real-world learning opportunities would have 
kept them in school. CTE programs prepare students for fulfilling 
careers in a number of high-growth, skill-intensive industries 
including information technology; science, technology, engineering and 
math; human services; transportation; and architecture and 
construction, among others. Through a combination of academic 
enrichment and job-specific training, CTE programs are developing 
postsecondary and workforce-ready graduates equipped to meet the needs 
of employers in current and emerging industries.
  The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act is a major 
source of Federal support for the development of career and technical 
skills among secondary and postsecondary students. Last reauthorized in 
2006, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act needs to 
be modernized to meet the demands of the 21st-century workforce and 
ensure that students have access to the highest-quality CTE programs.
  This is why I am pleased to introduce with my colleagues, Senator 
Portman, Senator Baldwin, and Senator Young, the Educating Tomorrow's 
Workforce Act, which would amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
Technical Education Act to raise the quality of CTE programs. The bill 
allows States and localities to use Perkins grant funding to establish 
CTE-focused academies. The legislation defines what constitutes a 
rigorous CTE curriculum and requires Perkins grant recipients to 
incorporate key high-quality elements in their programs including 
credit-transfer opportunities; academic and technical skills 
assessments; training tools that align with today's industries; CTE-
focused professional development for teachers, administrators, and 
counselors; and CTE curriculum alignment with local, regional, and 
State workforce demands. Additionally, the bill improves links between 
high school and postsecondary education to help ease attainment of an 
industry recognized credential, license, apprenticeship, or 
postsecondary certificate to obtain a job in a high-demand career field 
and promotes partnerships between local businesses and other community 
stakeholders to create pathways for students through work-based 
learning opportunities.
  I am proud to introduce this commonsense, bipartisan legislation to 
raise quality and access to CTE programs so that students develop the 
skills they need to meet the needs of 21st-century employers.

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