[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 39 (Thursday, February 27, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S1213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION MONTH

  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, our Nation's continued progress and the 
socioeconomic mobility of our citizens are contingent on the education 
and skills of the American workforce and its ability to adjust to and 
fulfill the needs of the 21st-century economy. Career and technical 
education, CTE, programs are essential to every student's education, 
providing them access to the important knowledge, skills, and 
credentials needed to obtain careers in rapidly growing, high-demand 
industries. Today, approximately 11.8 million students across the 
Nation are enrolled in CTE programs offered by thousands of career 
academies, comprehensive high schools, CTE high schools, community 
colleges, and CTE centers. Through applied learning, these students 
obtain workplace skills and technical training that mirror in-demand 
positions in the workforce.
  In the next decade, nearly 3 million skilled workers will be needed 
to fill infrastructure positions in the United States, including jobs 
related to designing, building, and operating transportation, housing, 
telecommunication, and utilities facilities. CTE programs intentionally 
match skills with workforce demands, lowering the probability of high 
school dropout and increasing the likelihood of graduating on time. 
These skills-based training programs will help fill the estimated 30 
million U.S. jobs available with an average income annual income of 
$55,000 that do not require a bachelor's degree yet necessitate some 
level of postsecondary education.
  Across Virginia, I hear from manufacturers frustrated by the shortage 
of qualified skilled production employees--roles that require the 
training and instruction provided by CTE. It is essential that we 
highlight the important role of CTE in the country's ability to meet 
the challenges we face in economic development, student achievement, 
and global competitiveness. In 2018, Congress affirmed the importance 
of CTE by passing the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for 
the 21st Century Act which supports CTE programs in secondary and 
postsecondary education.
  Today, with my Senate CTE Caucus cochairs Senator Portman, Senator 
Baldwin, and Senator Young and more than half of my colleagues in the 
Senate, I am pleased to introduce a bipartisan resolution to designate 
February as Career and Technical Education, CTE, Month. CTE Month 
encourages students, parents, counselors, educators, and school leaders 
to learn more about the diverse educational opportunities offered in 
their communities and recognize the valuable role of CTE in developing 
a well-educated and highly skilled workforce in the United States.
  By formally recognizing CTE Month through this resolution, it is our 
aim to raise greater awareness of the importance of improving access to 
high-quality CTE for millions of America's students and our Nation's 
ongoing economic competitiveness.

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