[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 19206]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



        TRIBUTE TO THE ``BUILDING SKILLS FOR AMERICA'' CAMPAIGN

 Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, last week nearly 200 high school 
and college student members of Skills USA-Vocational Industrial Clubs 
of America, their instructors, and corporate sponsors came to Capitol 
Hill to report the results of their year-long ``Building Skills for 
America'' signature campaign. Building Skills for America is a public 
awareness initiative by Skills USA-VICA to demonstrate the urgent needs 
of business and industry for a highly-skilled work force and the 
private sector's effective support for occupational instruction.
  The campaign has given these students the opportunity to speak to 
their communities about their pride in their chosen professions and the 
many opportunities available through good technical education. The 
students were able to collect 200,000 signatures for the campaign. I 
congratulate all of these students for their skillful work and 
dedication in promoting state-of-the-art vocational education and job 
training programs.
  I ask that a congratulatory letter to these outstanding young 
leaders, signed by Senators Collins, Reed, Grassley, Kerry, Inhofe, 
Miller, Lugar, Bryan, Murkowski, Dodd, Roth, Kerrey, DeWine, Murray, 
Hagel, Mikulski, Hatch, Harkin, Reid, Lincoln, Bingaman, Hollings, 
Levin, Conrad, Cleland, Wyden and myself may be printed in the Record.
  The letter follows:

                                                  U.S. Senate,

                               Washington, DC, September 20, 2000.
     Student Members and Staff,
     SkillsUSA-VICA.
       Warmest congratulations on your impressive efforts to raise 
     the awareness of all Americans about the importance of a 
     well-trained workforce. We commend you for your recognition 
     that the nation's prosperity depends on the skills of our 
     workers, and that a shortage of highly-skilled workers 
     threatens American competitiveness and hampers the ability of 
     companies to compete successfully in the modern economy.
       It is estimated that the nation will have 50 million job 
     openings between now and 2006--and most of these openings 
     will require highly developed skills. Clearly, we must do 
     more to promote the training necessary to respond to this 
     challenge.
       Education and technical training offered through the 
     nation's colleges and schools in conjunction with the 
     SkillsUSA-VICA program is a national resource for teaching 
     the academic, occupational, and professional skills that will 
     help students to become well-trained workers and responsible 
     citizens. The 200,000 signatures that you collected over the 
     past year in your Building Skills for America campaign have 
     increased public support for the on-going education and 
     training of the workforce across the country.
       You deserve great credit for the success of your Building 
     America Campaign. We are proud to support continuing state-
     of-the-art vocational education programs and job training 
     programs that reflect the changing needs of American business 
     and industry. The contributions of hard-working Americans 
     have been and will continue to be essential to the prosperity 
     of the nation. We look forward to working closely with you to 
     achieve these important goals.
         Edward M. Kennedy, Susan M. Collins, Jack Reed, Charles 
           E. Grassley, John F. Kerry, James M. Inhofe, Zell 
           Miller, Richard G. Lugar, Richard H. Bryan, Frank H. 
           Murkowski, Christopher J. Dodd, William V. Roth, Jr., 
           J. Robert Kerrey, Mike DeWine, Patty Murray, Chuck 
           Hagel, Barbara A. Mikulski, Orrin G. Hatch, Tom Harkin, 
           Harry Reid, Blanche L. Lincoln, Jeff Bingaman, Ernest 
           F. Hollings, Carl Levin, Kent Conrad, Ron Wyden, Max 
           Cleland.

                          ____________________