119-sres66

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 66 Agreed to Senate

    (ATS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 66

 Supporting the goals and ideals of ``Career and Technical Education 
 Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 6 (legislative day, February 5), 2025

Mr. Kaine (for himself, Mr. Young, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Budd, Mr. Barrasso, 
 Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. 
 Booker, Mrs. Britt, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Cassidy, Ms. 
 Collins, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cramer, Mr. 
 Crapo, Mr. Daines, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. 
 Grassley, Mr. Hagerty, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 
 Hoeven, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Lummis, Mr. 
Merkley, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Peters, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Reed, Ms. Rosen, Mr. 
 Sanders, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Sheehy, Ms. Smith, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Van 
 Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Lankford, and Mr. 
 Rounds) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
 agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Supporting the goals and ideals of ``Career and Technical Education 
 Month''.

Whereas American competitiveness within the global economy requires workers who 
 are prepared with the requisite academic knowledge as well as technical 
 and employability skills needed for career success;
Whereas 1,700,000 workers annually are projected to leave jobs supporting the 
 infrastructure sector of the United States through 2031, including 
 designing, building, and operating transportation, housing, utilities, 
 and telecommunications, leading to massive replacement needs;
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 academic achievement, and global 
 competitiveness;
Whereas, in the United States, it is forecast that by 2031 nearly \1/3\ of all 
 jobs will require some level of postsecondary education but less than a 
 bachelor's degree;
Whereas more than 11,100,000 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, technical high 
 schools, area technical centers, career academies, and over 1,000 two-
 year colleges;
Whereas CTE aligns with labor market demand and provides employability skills 
 and relevant academic and technical coursework leading to credentials of 
 value for secondary and postsecondary education students 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 has statistically significant positive impacts on the 
 academic achievement, high school completion, employability skills, and 
 college readiness of students;
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 about 77 percent of employers from in-demand industries report hiring an 
 employee because of knowledge and skills gained from their CTE 
 experience;
Whereas, in 2018, Congress affirmed on a wide bipartisan basis 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, 2025, marks the 108\th\ 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 2025: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the Senate--

    (1) supports the designation of February 2025 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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