[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 23 (Thursday, February 8, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 550--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF ``CAREER AND 
                      TECHNICAL EDUCATION MONTH''

  Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Young, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Budd, Mr. 
Barrasso, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Brown, Ms. 
Cantwell, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, Mr. Cassidy, Ms. Collins, 
Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Daines, Ms. 
Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hagerty, Ms. 
Hassan, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Hirono, Mr. King, Ms. 
Klobuchar, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Lujan, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Manchin, Mr. 
Marshall, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Peters, Mr. Reed, 
Mr. Risch, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Scott of 
South Carolina, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Smith, Mr. Thune, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Van 
Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. Hyde-
Smith, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Braun, and Ms. Ernst) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 550

       Whereas a competitive global economy requires workers who 
     are prepared for skilled professions;
       Whereas not fewer than 17,000,000 new workers will be 
     needed to support the infrastructure sector of the United 
     States through 2031, including to design, build, and operate 
     transportation, housing, utilities, and telecommunications;
       Whereas advancements in technology have fundamentally 
     changed critical economic sectors of the United States and 
     the global economy, creating significant, new demand for 
     high-wage, high-quality, and efficient education and training 
     opportunities;
       Whereas career and technical education (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``CTE'') ensures that a competitive and skilled 
     workforce is ready, willing, and capable of holding jobs in 
     high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand career fields;
       Whereas CTE helps the United States meet the very real and 
     immediate challenges of economic development, student 
     achievement, and global competitiveness;
       Whereas, in the United States, it is forecast that nearly 
     \1/3\ of all jobs will require some level of postsecondary 
     education, but less than a bachelor's degree, by 2031;
       Whereas 11,500,000 students are enrolled in CTE programs 
     across the United States at the secondary and postsecondary 
     levels, with CTE programs in thousands of comprehensive high 
     schools, area technical centers, and career academies and in 
     over 1,000 two-year colleges;
       Whereas CTE aligns with labor market demand and provides 
     students with employability skills and relevant academic and 
     technical coursework leading to credentials of value for 
     secondary and postsecondary education levels and adult 
     learners;
       Whereas CTE affords students the opportunity to cultivate 
     the knowledge and skills to earn the 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 high school on time;
       Whereas, according to a recent national survey conducted by 
     the Hunt Institute and Lake Research Partners, 94 percent of 
     parents and voters favor increased opportunities for students 
     to access workforce training and related opportunities to 
     cultivate skills needed for a career;
       Whereas students at schools with highly integrated, 
     rigorous academics 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; 132 Stat. 
     1563), which supports investment and improvement in secondary 
     and postsecondary CTE programs in all 50 States, the District 
     of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United 
     States Virgin Islands, and outlying areas; and
       Whereas February 23, 2024, marks the 107th anniversary of 
     the signing of the Act of February 23, 1917 (39 Stat. 929, 
     chapter 114, 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 2024: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the designation of February 2024 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 
     educational pathway for students.

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