[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 11, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H10029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize Computer Science Education Week.
  Ten years ago, this awareness week was established to highlight the 
important skill set and the role it plays in all industries.
  Every year, Computer Science Education Week serves as an opportunity 
for students in kindergarten through their senior year of high school 
to learn about the importance of computer science and the opportunities 
that abound with a skills-based education.
  As the co-chair of the bipartisan House Career and Technical 
Education Caucus, or CTE Caucus, I am proud to support Computer Science 
Education Week.
  Our Nation is facing a skilled worker shortage. With more than 7 
million open jobs in the United States, CTE opportunities can offer 
rewarding professional futures for learners of all ages while 
simultaneously closing the Nation's skills gap.
  One field in particular that needs workers trained in computer 
science is cybersecurity. I was pleased to cosponsor H.R. 1592, the 
Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act, alongside my fellow CTE Caucus 
co-chair, Congressman  Jim Langevin from Rhode Island. H.R. 1592 will 
aid in the development of a critical infrastructure workforce that is 
well trained to handle cyber threats from bad actors.
  The bill authorizes $10 million to create a competitive grant program 
within the Department of Education to incorporate cybersecurity 
education into new and existing CTE programs. Additionally, the bill 
requires the Department of Education to coordinate with the Department 
of Homeland Security to better support cybersecurity education 
programs.
  A successful career in any field starts with effective counseling. 
Far too many students begin their educational careers without fully 
understanding their options, but empowering students with counseling 
resources can better prepare learners of all ages for the workforce.
  That is why Congressman Langevin and I introduced H.R. 5092, the 
Counseling for Career Choice Act. H.R. 5092 would authorize $40 million 
for grants to be used by States and local education agencies to assess 
counseling services and create new counseling frameworks.
  The bill also provides professional development opportunities to 
counselors so that they can better improve their skills to assist their 
students. We need a workforce that can meet modern technical demands, 
and students who choose a career in technical education are best suited 
for that challenge.
  Through career and technical education programs like computer 
science, we can begin to close our Nation's skills gap with helping 
learners of all ages take control of their professional futures.

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