[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1919]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             NATIONAL 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 as cochair of 
the bipartisan House Career and Technical Education Caucus in order to 
recognize February as National Career and Technical Education Month.
  Career and technical education programs continue to evolve in order 
to ensure that workers are prepared to hold jobs in high-wage, high-
skill, and high-demand career fields like engineering, information 
technology, health care, and advanced manufacturing for the 21st 
century.
  During this time of economic uncertainty and record high 
unemployment, career and technical education programs provide a 
lifeline for the underemployed who look to be in careers alongside 
young adults just starting out in the rapidly evolving job market.
  Career and technical education, while historically undervalued, helps 
tackle critical workforce shortages and provides an opportunity for 
America to remain globally competitive while also engaging students in 
practical, real-world applications of academics, coupled with hands on 
work experiences.
  Together, these programs provide for integrated learning experiences 
which assist students with skills that promote career readiness. 
Whether for high school students and adults retraining for a new field 
or further professional development, career and technical education 
programs are vital to our country's economic recovery. And while the 
limited Federal investment has been stagnant for almost a decade, these 
programs have proven effective to ensure that America can continue to 
be the world's leading innovator.
  As we move toward fiscal year 2013, I join with a bipartisan group of 
my colleagues in not only recognizing the importance of maintaining 
these Federal investments for our country's future, but also in saying 
thank you to the countless men and women who make these programs 
possible. They share a bold vision for America's future, which breaks 
from the cookie cutter, straight out of the box education of the past 
and recognizes that America can and must remain a global leader.
  Mr. Speaker, career and technical education serves to ensure that we 
continue on that path.

                          ____________________