[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 67 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 67
Supporting the goals and ideals of ``Career and Technical Education
Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 15, 2023
Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Young, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Barrasso, Mr.
Bennet, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Boozman, Mr.
Braun, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Brown, Mr. Budd, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Capito, Mr.
Cardin, Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, Ms. Collins, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cornyn, Ms.
Cortez Masto, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Daines, Ms. Duckworth, Mr.
Durbin, Ms. Ernst, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Fetterman, Mrs. Fischer, Mr.
Grassley, Mr. Hagerty, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms.
Hirono, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Kelly, Mr. King, Ms.
Klobuchar, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Lujan, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Manchin, Mr.
Marshall, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Mullin, 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, Mr. Thune, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Vance, Mr. Van
Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Welch, 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 not fewer than 17,000,000 new workers will be needed to support the
infrastructure sector of the United States in the next decade, including
to design, build, and operate transportation, housing, utilities, and
telecommunications;
Whereas current global economic uncertainty and volatility have fundamentally
shifted entire industries within foundational sectors of the economy of
the United States, creating significant demands for high-quality and
efficient educational 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, in the United States, more than \1/2\ of all jobs require some level of
postsecondary education, but less than a bachelor's degree;
Whereas nearly 12,000,000 students are enrolled in CTE across the United States
at the secondary and postsecondary levels, with CTE programs in
thousands of comprehensive high schools, area technical centers, and
career academies and in nearly 1,000 2-year colleges;
Whereas CTE matches employability skills with workforce demand and provides
relevant academic and technical coursework leading to credentials of
value for secondary, postsecondary, and adult learners;
Whereas CTE affords students the opportunity to cultivate the knowledge and
skills to earn the 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, 94 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; 132 Stat. 1563), which supports investment and
program improvement in secondary and postsecondary CTE programs in all
50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
the United States Virgin Islands, and outlying areas; and
Whereas February 23, 2023, marks the 106th 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 2023: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the designation of February 2023 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
educational pathway for students.
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