[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16126]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 19, 2014

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Career 
Development Month.
  In conversations with businesses across my home state of Rhode 
Island, I have been hearing a constant refrain: Employers have job 
openings but are unable to find local, skilled workers with the 
expertise necessary to fill the open positions. Meanwhile, job seekers 
find it hard to acquire these skills without the proper training, a 
vicious cycle that continues to hold back our economy.
  As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus, 
closing the skills gap is one of my top priorities. In order to match 
students with the skills they need, I have introduced the bipartisan 
Counseling For Career Choice Act. This bill would help to make sure 
that school counselors and students know of the full range of options 
available to them post-graduation. By tracking workforce trends and 
increasing collaboration between employers and educators, we can help 
students to make informed decisions regarding their career paths.
  Comprehensive career counseling is a vital component of skills 
training and helps to better align school curricula with local 
workforce trends and available post-secondary opportunities. While not 
every job will require a college degree, some sort of postsecondary 
education will be necessary. Whether it comes from a community college, 
a skills training program, or on-the-job-training, we need to change 
what it means to be college- and career-ready. We need to provide 
students with the knowledge and experience that will truly prepare them 
for what's next.
  However, we cannot neglect the skills gap that remains for people 
already in the workforce. Many workers need to learn new skills to 
advance their careers, and although they may not have the option to 
work with a school counselor, they can foster connections with career 
development professionals.
  Across the nation, career development professionals help students to 
achieve their goals by providing professional development resources, 
scientific resources and advocacy. Each November, career development 
professionals celebrate the achievements of their clients with career-
focused events and activities including the National Career Development 
Association (NCDA) Poetry and Poster Contest. In fact, this year marks 
the 49th successful competition, which is appropriately titled, 
``Reimagining Life's Possibilities: Celebrating First Jobs Through 
Encore Careers.''
  NCDA represents a broad range of members that provide career 
intervention and support services. Members include school and college 
counselors, One Stop Career Center counselors, Veterans Administration 
counselors, and private practice counselors, coaches and consultants. 
NCDA supports its members by providing research, advocacy and training. 
Last year, NCDA celebrated its 100th year of providing professional 
service to individuals seeking career advancement and success.
  I would like to thank all career development professionals for their 
dedication to helping Americans improve their skillsets, find quality 
employment and achieve their professional and personal goals.

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