[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 11, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S992-S993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. Young):
  S. 3273. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to 
establish a community college and career training grant program; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, approximately 80 percent of jobs in today's 
workforce require some form of postsecondary education or training 
beyond the high school level. While the number of students pursing 
postsecondary education is growing, the supply of middle-skilled 
workers, whose work requires more than a high school diploma but not a 
four-year degree, falls short of industry demand. According to the 
National Skills Coalition, 53 percent of all jobs in today's labor 
market are middle skill, but only 43 percent of U.S. workers are 
trained at this level. Education is failing to meet the needs of 
critical industries, including manufacturing, construction, energy,

[[Page S993]]

health care, information technology, transportation, and business 
management and administration.
  For many people seeking a job, attending a community college is the 
most affordable and accessible pathway to higher paying employment 
opportunities. In Virginia, we have 23 community colleges that serve an 
estimated 400,000 people across the State, providing them opportunities 
to earn an associate's degree, certifications or licensures in some of 
the most cutting-edge and in-demand fields in our workforce. The impact 
of community colleges nationwide is even greater, and our rapidly 
changing economy demands increased investment in the pathways these 
institutions provide to keep up with changing skill demands.
  Today, I am proud to introduce the Assisting Community Colleges in 
Educating Skilled Students (ACCESS) to Careers Act with Senator Young. 
Inspired by the success of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community 
College and Career Training grant program, this bill provides grants to 
states and community colleges to scale evidence-based strategies that 
will help prepare our students with the skills necessary to succeed in 
our in-demand industry sectors and occupations. These grants can be 
used to expand dual enrollment, work-based learning opportunities, 
apprenticeships, and other pathways to best meet the skill needs of 
students and employers in our evolving workforce. The bill also 
emphasizes the importance of student services to ensure that students 
have the support they need to complete their programs.
  The bill also allows grants to be used for developing partnerships 
between community colleges and other private and public sector 
entities, creating innovative career pathways directly between two-year 
institutions and employers. In Virginia, we've already started to see 
the success of these community college partnerships as part of a 
strategy to address the growing workforce shortages in rural areas and 
in-demand industries.
  When we invest in our community colleges, they become hubs of 
innovation, finding pathways to train our next generation in the skills 
our rapidly evolving workforce needs. The ACCESS to Careers Act 
represents a necessary step to take the evidence-based innovations 
we've seen on the local level to scale in order to fill jobs in high-
needs industries. I strongly encourage my colleagues in the Senate to 
consider this commonsense, bipartisan legislation as we move towards 
reauthorizing the Higher Education Act.

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