[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 179 (Tuesday, November 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H9507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK

  (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the Career and Technical 
Education Caucus, I rise to recognize National Apprenticeship Week.
  In recent years, we have heard too often about the tremendous skills 
gap that we have in our country, where too many jobs at companies in 
our districts go unfilled because workers don't have the skills to do 
those jobs that are available. Well, apprenticeships provide valuable 
on-the-job training for students of all ages. By combining practical 
and theoretical instruction, they allow students to earn while they 
learn, preparing them for high-skilled, high-paying jobs.
  I have seen the promise of these programs back home. In Rhode Island, 
Electric Boat has partnered with the Community College of Rhode Island 
to offer an apprenticeship program at Quonset Point in maritime pipe 
and structural trades. Apprentices will finish the program with a 
certificate and an associate's degree, ready for rewarding careers in 
high-demand industries.
  Apprenticeships offer affordable education for students, powerful 
productivity enhancements for businesses, and big economic returns for 
our communities. As the number of skilled job openings continues to 
grow and the workforce continues to age, apprenticeship programs will 
become even more critical.

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