[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23803]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          NATIONAL TECHIES DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Wilson). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 19, 1999, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands 
(Mrs. Christensen) is recognized during morning hour debates for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I am here this morning in 
recognition of the first ever National Techies Day to bring attention 
to the lack of adequately trained and educated workers to fill the many 
information and technology jobs that are available today.
  Reports estimate about 350,000 Information Technology or IT jobs are 
currently unfilled in America with an expected 1 million jobs over the 
next 10 years.
  The goal of National Techies Day is to match technology professionals 
with students, to encourage their involvement in science and technology 
with particular emphasis on children and disadvantaged communities.
  Many of these communities are still without access to the Internet. 
We must work together to ensure that this digital divide will be 
eliminated. With Federal initiatives such as the E-Rate to wire all of 
the Nation's public schools and libraries, we are definitely on the 
right track.
  So I am pleased to support National Techies Day and applaud 
organizations like the Association for Competitive Technology, the Kids 
Computer Workshop, and Be Healthy Lifestyles for reaching out to 
children in urban areas and opening their eyes to the endless 
possibilities of theirs.

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