[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 24, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H593-H594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
February as Career and Technical Education Month. Each year, this month 
highlights the benefits of a skills-based education and the valuable 
contributions that CTE students make to the American workforce.
  A one-size-fits-all approach to education is not an effective way to 
prepare students for the workforce. We are

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doing students a great disservice when we only promote what is 
considered a traditional college experience.
  My appreciation for CTE came at an early age. My father, after 
leaving the Navy, went through a CTE program, which led him to a job as 
a tool and die maker. Eventually, he decided to start his own business, 
which became quite successful.
  As co-chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus, and a 
senior member of the Committee on Education and Labor, I have also 
supported, and will continue to support, CTE programs that provide 
learners of all ages with career-ready skills.
  From agriculture to the arts, from marketing to manufacturing, CTE 
programs work to develop America's most valuable resource, its people.
  CTE has established itself as a path that many high-achieving 
students choose in pursuit of industry certification and hands-on 
skills that they can use right out of school, in skill-based education 
programs, or in college.
  Congress recognized the importance of CTE when we passed the 
Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, 
which helps close the skills gap by modernizing the Federal investment 
in CTE programs and connecting educators with industry stakeholders. 
This bill was later signed into law by President Trump in 2018.
  While this is a major milestone, there is still more work to be done. 
That is why I am supporting additional pieces of legislation on the 
horizon to keep updating and promoting workforce development throughout 
our Nation. These include:
  The Skills Renewals Act, which creates a flexible skills training 
credit in the amount of $4,000 per person that may be applied to cover 
the cost of a wide range of training programs that build skills 
expected to be in high demand by employers in the coming months.
  There is also the Skills Investment Act, which enhances the Coverdell 
education savings accounts--tax-advantaged savings accounts for 
educational expenses--so American workers can use the accounts to pay 
for their skills-based learning, career training, and workforce 
development.
  And lastly, the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act, which creates a 
$10 million pilot program within the Department of Education to award 
competitive grants to education-employer partnerships for the 
development and implementation, and/or expansion of postsecondary CTE 
programs that integrate cybersecurity education into curricula 
preparing students for careers in critical infrastructure sectors.
  COVID-19 has demonstrated the need for CTE. Many of those who have 
been deemed as life-essential employees are those who have made their 
way to those jobs through the Career and Technical Education pathway. 
It gives people from all walks of life an opportunity to succeed and 
restores rungs on the ladder of opportunity.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage my colleagues to 
join my co-chair and I, Mr. Langevin, on the bipartisan Career and 
Technical Education Caucus, to help us equip individuals of all ages 
with the skills necessary to fill jobs now and in the future.

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