[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13438]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         CALLING ON THE SENATE TO MAKE CTE A PRIORITY THIS FALL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, during the August in-
district work period, I had the privilege of visiting CPI in Pleasant 
Gap, Pennsylvania. CPI is the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science 
and Technology.
  I was proud that my colleague, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of 
Illinois, was able to join me in Pennsylvania's Fifth District at CPI 
on the first day of school.
  CPI was founded in 1969 to meet the career and technical education 
needs of high school students in Centre County. By combining academies 
with technical training and industry-recognized certifications, CPI is 
uniquely poised to prepare students for rapid employment and long-term 
career success. CPI offers more than 18 secondary programs, over 60 in-
house adult and continuing education programs, and more than 350 online 
courses.
  In addition to exceptional classroom and hands-on instruction from a 
highly qualified, experienced faculty, CPI offers certification in a 
wide range of disciplines, a notable advantage to CPI graduates and 
their employers.
  Congressman Krishnamoorthi and I were at CPI to talk about our bill, 
the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century 
Act. This House unanimously approved the bill in June, and I call on 
the United States Senate to make it a priority for this fall.
  Mr. Speaker, our bill is the first major overhaul to the Carl D. 
Perkins Career and Technical Education Act in more than 10 years. The 
bipartisan legislation strengthens and improves career and technical 
education and gives Americans the skills they need to compete for in-
demand jobs.
  This can be witnessed firsthand at CPI. This November, CPI will 
launch a new 2-year degree program: Natural Gas Compression--CAT/Ariel 
Emphasis Associate of Specialized Technology. The program is in 
partnership with the Cleveland Brothers, a Pennsylvania-based 
Caterpillar dealer, and Ariel Corporation, the world's leading 
manufacturer of natural gas compressors. CPI is currently accepting 
students for a November 28, 2017, start date. It is only one of two 
programs of its kind nationwide.
  Ariel Corporation compressors and CAT engines are located in oil and 
gas fields throughout the world. Graduates of CPI's natural gas 
compressor degree program will have an opportunity to work locally, 
nationally, and globally. Cleveland Brothers, Ariel, and gas industry 
partners will be interviewing the NGC students after the first term. If 
pre-hired by the program's industry partners, students will receive 
company-sponsored tuition reimbursement.
  Mr. Speaker, this is exactly the type of career and technical 
education investments we should be making and encouraging. By educating 
Americans in high-demand fields, they can climb rungs on the ladder of 
opportunity and obtain family-sustaining jobs.
  I will continue to advocate for these important reforms that will 
benefit Americans from all walks of life. I urge the Senate to take up 
our bill without delay. It is important to close the skills gap and 
give every American a chance at having a fulfilling career.

                              {time}  1015

  Now, I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Krishnamoorthi, for 
traveling to Pennsylvania to see this program in action. I want to 
thank the staff of CPI for not only hosting us on the first day of 
school, but for working to educate students in their chosen fields.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the Senate to act on this bipartisan bill without 
delay because it is critically important to closing the skills gap in 
this country, and above all else, it is a win for the American worker 
and American families. Let's help all Americans learn to earn.

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