[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 3, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1032-S1033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 91--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF ``CAREER AND 
                      TECHNICAL EDUCATION MONTH''

  Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Portman, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Young, Mr. 
Barrasso, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Boozman, Mr. 
Braun, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, Mr. Coons, Mr. 
Cornyn, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Daines, Ms. 
Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Ernst, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Fischer, Ms. 
Hassan, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. King, 
Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
Peters, Mr. Risch, Mr. Romney, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rubio, Mr. 
Sanders, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Smith, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Thune, Mr. Tillis, 
Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Scott of 
South Carolina) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                               S. Res. 91

       Whereas a competitive global economy requires workers who 
     are prepared for skilled professions;
       Whereas 3,000,000 workers will be needed for the United 
     States' infrastructure in the next several years, including 
     designing, building, and operating transportation, housing, 
     utilities, and telecommunications;
       Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has displaced millions of 
     workers in the United States and fundamentally shifted entire 
     industries within foundational aspects of the

[[Page S1033]]

     economy, creating significant demands for high-quality and 
     efficient upskilling and reskilling opportunities to ensure a 
     quick and equitable recovery;
       Whereas career and technical education (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``CTE'') ensures that competitive and skilled 
     workers are ready, willing, and capable of holding jobs in 
     high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand career fields such as 
     science, technology, engineering, art and design, 
     mathematics, nursing, allied health, construction, 
     information technology, energy sustainability, and many other 
     career fields that are vital in keeping the United States 
     competitive in the global economy;
       Whereas CTE helps the United States meet the very real and 
     immediate challenges of economic development, student 
     achievement, and global competitiveness;
       Whereas the United States has 30,000,000 jobs providing an 
     average income of $55,000 per year that do not require a 
     bachelor's degree yet increasingly require some level of 
     postsecondary education;
       Whereas over 12,800,000 students are enrolled in CTE across 
     the country at the secondary and postsecondary levels, with 
     CTE programs in thousands of CTE centers, comprehensive high 
     schools, career academies, and CTE high schools, and nearly 
     1,000 2-year colleges;
       Whereas CTE matches employability skills with workforce 
     demand and provides relevant academic and technical 
     coursework leading to industry-recognized credentials for 
     secondary, postsecondary, and adult learners;
       Whereas CTE affords students the opportunity to gain the 
     knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to secure careers 
     in growing, high-demand fields;
       Whereas secondary CTE is associated with a lower 
     probability of dropping out of high school and a higher 
     likelihood of graduating on-time;
       Whereas according to an American Federation of Teachers 
     poll, 94 percent of parents approve of expanding access to 
     CTE and other programs that prepare students for jobs;
       Whereas students at schools with highly integrated rigorous 
     academic and CTE programs are significantly more likely to 
     meet college and career readiness benchmarks than students at 
     schools with less integrated programs;
       Whereas, in 2018, Congress affirmed the importance of CTE 
     by passing the Strengthening Career and Technical Education 
     for the 21st Century Act (Public Law 115-224), which supports 
     program improvement in secondary and postsecondary CTE 
     programs in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto 
     Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and outlying areas; 
     and
       Whereas, February 23, 2019, marked the 102nd anniversary of 
     the signing of the Act of February 23, 1917 (39 Stat. 929, 
     commonly known as the ``Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act 
     of 1917''), which was the first major Federal investment in 
     secondary CTE and laid the foundation for the bipartisan, 
     bicameral support for CTE that continues as of February 2021: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the designation of February 2021 as ``Career 
     and Technical Education Month'' to celebrate career and 
     technical education across the United States;
       (2) supports the goals and ideals of Career and Technical 
     Education Month;
       (3) recognizes the importance of career and technical 
     education in preparing a well-educated and skilled workforce 
     in the United States; and
       (4) encourages educators, school counselors, guidance and 
     career development professionals, administrators, and parents 
     to promote career and technical education as a respected 
     option for students.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, by supporting the development of a 
workforce trained in in-demand skills, we can accelerate the recovery 
of our economy. The 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--especially in the wake of the 
coronavirus pandemic. Career and technical education (CTE) programs are 
vital 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 12.8 
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, millions of 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 drop-out and increasing the likelihood of on time graduation 
rates. These CTE programs will help fill the estimated 30 million U.S. 
jobs available with an average annual income of $55,000 that do not 
require a bachelor's degree yet necessitate some level of postsecondary 
education.
  Across Virginia, I hear about an increase in workforce needs from 
frontline health services to manufacturing PPE to contract tracing--the 
list goes on. As we see a surge in unemployment overall from the 
pandemic, it is essential that we highlight the important role of CTE 
in the country's ability to meet the challenges we face in economic 
recovery and 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. We also need to ensure we continue reskilling and upskilling 
workers by supporting workforce development programs.
  Today, with my Senate CTE Caucus co-chairs Senator Portman, Senator 
Baldwin, and Senator Young and more than half of my colleagues in the 
Senate, I am pleased to again 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, we hope to 
bring greater awareness to improving access to high-quality career and 
technical education for millions of America's students and our nation's 
ongoing economic competitiveness.

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