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“SENATE RESOLUTION 91--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF ``CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION MONTH''” mentioning Todd Young was published in the Senate section on pages S1032-S1033 on March 3.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SENATE RESOLUTION 91--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF ``CAREER AND
TECHNICAL EDUCATION MONTH''
Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Portman, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Young, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Braun, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, 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, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Peters, Mr. Risch, Mr. Romney, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Sanders, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Smith, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Thune, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Scott of South Carolina) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
S. Res. 91
Whereas a competitive global economy requires workers who are prepared for skilled professions;
Whereas 3,000,000 workers will be needed for the United States' infrastructure in the next several years, 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 12,800,000 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, 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), 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, 2019, marked the 102nd 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 2021: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) supports the designation of February 2021 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.
Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, by supporting the development of a workforce trained in in-demand skills, we can accelerate the recovery of our economy. The Nation's continued progress and the socioeconomic mobility of our citizens are contingent on the education and skills of the American workforce and its ability to adjust to and fulfill the needs of the 21st century economy--especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Career and technical education (CTE) programs are vital to every student's education, providing them access to the important knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to obtain careers in rapidly growing, high-demand industries. Today, approximately 12.8 million students across the Nation are enrolled in CTE programs offered by thousands of career academies, comprehensive high schools, CTE high schools, community colleges, and CTE centers. Through applied learning, these students obtain workplace skills and technical training that mirror in-demand positions in the workforce.
In the next decade, millions of skilled workers will be needed to fill infrastructure positions in the United States, including jobs related to designing, building, and operating transportation, housing, telecommunication, and utilities facilities. CTE programs intentionally match skills with workforce demands, lowering the probability of high school drop-out and increasing the likelihood of on time graduation rates. These CTE programs will help fill the estimated 30 million U.S. jobs available with an average annual income of $55,000 that do not require a bachelor's degree yet necessitate some level of postsecondary education.
Across Virginia, I hear about an increase in workforce needs from frontline health services to manufacturing PPE to contract tracing--the list goes on. As we see a surge in unemployment overall from the pandemic, it is essential that we highlight the important role of CTE in the country's ability to meet the challenges we face in economic recovery and development, student achievement, and global competitiveness. In 2018, Congress affirmed the importance of CTE by passing the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act which supports CTE programs in secondary and postsecondary education. We also need to ensure we continue reskilling and upskilling workers by supporting workforce development programs.
Today, with my Senate CTE Caucus co-chairs Senator Portman, Senator Baldwin, and Senator Young and more than half of my colleagues in the Senate, I am pleased to again introduce a bipartisan resolution to designate February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) month. CTE Month encourages students, parents, counselors, educators, and school leaders to learn more about the diverse educational opportunities offered in their communities, and recognize the valuable role of CTE in developing a well-educated and highly skilled workforce in the United States.
By formally recognizing CTE Month through this resolution, we hope to bring greater awareness to improving access to high-quality career and technical education for millions of America's students and our nation's ongoing economic competitiveness.
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