III
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 550
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 8 (legislative day, February 7), 2024
Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Young, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Budd, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Britt, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, Mr. Cassidy, Ms. Collins, Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Daines, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hagerty, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Hirono, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Luján, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Peters, Mr. Reed, Mr. Risch, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Smith, Mr. Thune, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Braun, and Ms. Ernst) 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 through 2031, including to design, build, and operate transportation, housing, utilities, and telecommunications;
Whereas advancements in technology have fundamentally changed critical economic sectors of the United States and the global economy, creating significant, new demand for high-wage, high-quality, and efficient education and training opportunities;
Whereas career and technical education (referred to in this preamble as CTE
) ensures that a competitive and skilled workforce is ready, willing, and capable of holding jobs in high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand career fields;
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, it is forecast that nearly 1/3 of all jobs will require some level of postsecondary education, but less than a bachelor’s degree, by 2031;
Whereas 11,500,000 students are enrolled in CTE programs 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 over 1,000 two-year colleges;
Whereas CTE aligns with labor market demand and provides students with employability skills and relevant academic and technical coursework leading to credentials of value for secondary and postsecondary education levels 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 high school on time;
Whereas, according to a recent national survey conducted by the Hunt Institute and Lake Research Partners, 94 percent of parents and voters favor increased opportunities for students to access workforce training and related opportunities to cultivate skills needed for a career;
Whereas students at schools with highly integrated, rigorous academics 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 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, 2024, marks the 107th anniversary of the signing of the Act of February 23, 1917 (39 Stat. 929, chapter 114, 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 2024: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
supports the designation of February 2024 as Career and Technical Education Month
to celebrate career and technical education across the United States;
supports the goals and ideals of Career and Technical Education Month;
recognizes the importance of career and technical education in preparing a well-educated and skilled workforce in the United States; and
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.