[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 515 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 515
Supporting the goals and ideals of ``Career and Technical Education
Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 15, 2022
Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Young, Mr. Portman, Ms. Baldwin, Mr.
Barrasso, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr.
Boozman, Mr. Braun, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Carper,
Mr. Casey, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cramer, Mr.
Crapo, Mr. Daines, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Ernst, Mrs.
Feinstein, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hagerty, Ms. Hassan, Mr.
Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Hyde-Smith,
Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Kelly, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lankford, Mr.
Lujan, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray,
Mr. Padilla, Mr. Peters, Mr. Reed, Mr. Risch, Mr. Romney, Ms. Rosen,
Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mrs.
Shaheen, Ms. Smith, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Tester, Mr. Thune, Mr. Tillis,
Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wicker,
and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was considered
and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of ``Career and Technical Education
Month''.
Whereas a competitive global economy requires workers who are prepared for
skilled professions;
Whereas at least 15,000,000 new workers will be needed for the United States'
infrastructure in the next decade, including designing, building, and
operating transportation, housing, utilities, and telecommunications;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has displaced millions of workers in the United
States and fundamentally shifted entire industries within foundational
aspects of the economy, creating significant demands for high-quality
and efficient upskilling and reskilling opportunities to ensure a quick
and equitable recovery;
Whereas career and technical education (referred to in this preamble as ``CTE'')
ensures that competitive and skilled workers are ready, willing, and
capable of holding jobs in high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand career
fields such as science, technology, engineering, art and design,
mathematics, nursing, allied health, construction, information
technology, energy sustainability, and many other career fields that are
vital in keeping the United States competitive in the global economy;
Whereas CTE helps the United States meet the very real and immediate challenges
of economic development, student achievement, and global
competitiveness;
Whereas the United States has 30,000,000 jobs providing an average income of
$55,000 per year that do not require a bachelor's degree yet
increasingly require some level of postsecondary education;
Whereas over 11,000,000 students are enrolled in CTE across the country at the
secondary and postsecondary levels, with CTE programs in thousands of
CTE centers, comprehensive high schools, career academies, and CTE high
schools, and nearly 1,000 2-year colleges;
Whereas CTE matches employability skills with workforce demand and provides
relevant academic and technical coursework leading to industry-
recognized credentials for secondary, postsecondary, and adult learners;
Whereas CTE affords students the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and
credentials needed to secure careers in growing, high-demand fields;
Whereas secondary CTE is associated with a lower probability of dropping out of
high school and a higher likelihood of graduating on-time;
Whereas, according to an American Federation of Teachers poll, 96 percent of
parents approve of expanding access to CTE and other programs that
prepare students for jobs;
Whereas students at schools with highly integrated rigorous academic and CTE
programs are significantly more likely to meet college and career
readiness benchmarks than students at schools with less integrated
programs;
Whereas, in 2018, Congress affirmed the importance of CTE by passing the
Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act
(Public Law 115-224), which supports program improvement in secondary
and postsecondary CTE programs in all 50 States, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and outlying
areas; and
Whereas February 23, 2022, marks the 105th anniversary of the signing of the Act
of February 23, 1917 (39 Stat. 929, commonly known as the ``Smith-Hughes
Vocational Education Act of 1917''), which was the first major Federal
investment in secondary CTE and laid the foundation for the bipartisan,
bicameral support for CTE that continues as of February 2022: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the designation of February 2022 as ``Career
and Technical Education Month'' to celebrate career and
technical education across the United States;
(2) supports the goals and ideals of Career and Technical
Education Month;
(3) recognizes the importance of career and technical
education in preparing a well-educated and skilled workforce in
the United States; and
(4) encourages educators, school counselors, guidance and
career development professionals, administrators, and parents
to promote career and technical education as a respected option
for students.
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