Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Page H10029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to
recognize Computer Science Education Week.
Ten years ago, this awareness week was established to highlight the
important skill set and the role it plays in all industries.
Every year, Computer Science Education Week serves as an opportunity
for students in kindergarten through their senior year of high school
to learn about the importance of computer science and the opportunities
that abound with a skills-based education.
As the co-chair of the bipartisan House Career and Technical
Education Caucus, or CTE Caucus, I am proud to support Computer Science
Education Week.
Our Nation is facing a skilled worker shortage. With more than 7
million open jobs in the United States, CTE opportunities can offer
rewarding professional futures for learners of all ages while
simultaneously closing the Nation's skills gap.
One field in particular that needs workers trained in computer
science is cybersecurity. I was pleased to cosponsor H.R. 1592, the
Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act, alongside my fellow CTE Caucus
co-chair, Congressman Jim Langevin from Rhode Island. H.R. 1592 will
aid in the development of a critical infrastructure workforce that is
well trained to handle cyber threats from bad actors.
The bill authorizes $10 million to create a competitive grant program
within the Department of Education to incorporate cybersecurity
education into new and existing CTE programs. Additionally, the bill
requires the Department of Education to coordinate with the Department
of Homeland Security to better support cybersecurity education
programs.
A successful career in any field starts with effective counseling.
Far too many students begin their educational careers without fully
understanding their options, but empowering students with counseling
resources can better prepare learners of all ages for the workforce.
That is why Congressman Langevin and I introduced H.R. 5092, the
Counseling for Career Choice Act. H.R. 5092 would authorize $40 million
for grants to be used by States and local education agencies to assess
counseling services and create new counseling frameworks.
The bill also provides professional development opportunities to
counselors so that they can better improve their skills to assist their
students. We need a workforce that can meet modern technical demands,
and students who choose a career in technical education are best suited
for that challenge.
Through career and technical education programs like computer
science, we can begin to close our Nation's skills gap with helping
learners of all ages take control of their professional futures.
____________________
