    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 134, 116th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 9986 of January 31, 2020
    Career and Technical Education Month, 2020
    By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation
    Our Nation's economy is booming, and Americans are thriving. To ensure
    that our country's workforce remains the best in the world, it is
    imperative that we equip students and workers with the skills necessary
    to fill the jobs our economy is creating at an incredible pace and to
    enable them to reap the benefits of successful careers. During Career
    and Technical Education Month, we reaffirm our commitment to expanding
    access to high-quality career and technical education for all Americans.
    Career and technical education helps develop a 21st century workforce,
    providing students with the knowledge and technical skills needed to
    fill the jobs of the future. My Administration appreciates the

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    value of career and technical education, which is why we continue to prioritize
    access to the best training and retraining opportunities for American
    students and workers. We are preparing our workforce to flourish amidst
    advances in technology and automation, and we are confident that with
    the right training, hardworking Americans can harness technology to do
    their jobs even better and faster than they do them today. In July 2018,
    I signed an Executive Order establishing the President's National
    Council for the American Worker to facilitate a
    much-needed partnership between education and business, which will help
    resolve pressing issues related to workforce development. As a part of
    the Council's work, my Administration is asking companies and trade
    groups throughout the country to sign our Pledge to America's Workers,
    committing themselves to refocusing resources to retrain our workforce
    and equip students and workers with the skills they need to be
    successful right here in the United States. Already, more than 400
    businesses have signed the pledge and committed to creating 14.5 million
    enhanced employment, training, and education opportunities for American
    students and workers over the next 5 years.
    We are living in an age of incredible progress, with an abundance of new
    career fields offering high-wage jobs, especially in science,
    technology, engineering, and mathematics. Career and technical education
    provides students with the in-demand skills required by these coveted
    positions, developing their talents and providing them with the tools to
    be successful in the modern economy. In July 2018, I was proud to sign
    the bipartisan reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and
    Technical Education Act, which is benefiting more than 11 million
    students. This critical legislation is modernizing and increasing access
    to career and technical education programs, providing students and
    workers with the necessary training that will strengthen our Nation's
    economic competitiveness. Given the importance of career and technical
    education, my fiscal year 2021 budget proposal to the Congress will
    include significant increases in funding for these programs.
    This month, we draw attention to the importance of career and technical
    education in building a stronger American workforce. Our Nation's
    students and workers are helping to write the next chapter in our proud
    American legacy of ingenuity and innovation. We will continue to pursue
    approaches that best fit the needs of individual students and workers
    and prepare them to unlock their full potential.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
    America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
    the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2020 as
    Career and Technical Education Month.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of
    January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
    fourth.
    DONALD J. TRUMP