[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11489]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THADDEUS STEVENS COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I had the 
privilege of touring Pennsylvania's only State-owned 2-year technical 
college, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, named after an 
individual, a former Member of Congress that served in the era of 
Abraham Lincoln in this Chamber. I was pleased to be in Lancaster with 
my colleague, Representative Smucker.
  Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology provides a bridge out of 
poverty for some of the poorest citizens of Pennsylvania through a 
high-skill, high-wage technical education. Graduates are filling the 
skills gap in America, as there is a 99 percent placement for graduates 
of its high-demand programs.
  Founded in 1905, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology educates 
Pennsylvania's economically and socially disadvantaged students as well 
as other qualified students for skilled employment in a diverse and 
ever-changing workforce. It offers 22 innovative technical-based majors 
that educate students for numerous job opportunities. From architecture 
to automotive studies and from masonry to mechanical engineering, there 
are many career paths for students to pursue.
  The hands-on nature of the program allows students exposure to the 
experience, problem-solving ability, and skills that will be used 
throughout their careers. Many students enter the workforce after their 
studies, while others may choose to pursue higher level degrees at 4-
year colleges and universities.
  Thaddeus Stevens College is also aware that the cost of education 
often places a financial strain on both the student and their family. 
Grant programs are offered to assist students who are financially 
disadvantaged to serve a rich diversity of students.
  Last month, I was proud this House unanimously approved my bill, the 
Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. 
The legislation aims to restore rungs on the ladder of opportunity 
because all Americans deserve a good-paying, family-sustaining job.
  CTE has established itself as a path that many high-achieving 
students choose in pursuit of industry certification and hands-on 
skills that they can use right out of high school in skills-based 
education programs or in colleges like Thaddeus Stevens College of 
Technology. By modernizing the Federal investment in CTE programs, we 
will be able to connect more educators with industry stakeholders and 
close the skills gap that is in this country. There are good jobs out 
there, but people need to be qualified to get them.
  I have proudly championed the Strengthening Career and Technical 
Education for the 21st Century Act because it puts emphasis on 
advancing policies and promotes good-paying jobs, and it works to see 
that everyone from all walks of life can have the opportunity to 
succeed. Mr. Speaker, I witnessed this firsthand at Thaddeus Stevens 
College.
  This school is an outstanding example of the transformative power of 
education. The college is a national leader in technical workforce 
development, and it works to break the intergenerational cycle of 
poverty for millions of students through career and technical 
education.
  For the fourth consecutive time, The Aspen Institute has named 
Thaddeus Stevens as the top 2-year technical college in Pennsylvania. I 
congratulate the school and all of its students. It is truly a shining 
example of strong career and technical education programs at work, and 
its graduates enter the workforce armed with the knowledge and skills 
they need to succeed and pursue the American Dream. They are learning 
to earn.

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