On Thursday, Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH), co-chairs of the Senate CTE Caucus, took to the Senate floor to promote the Educating Tomorrow's Workforce Act. As we previously reported, the legislation builds on some of the successful components of the Perkins Act by incorporating a more rigorous definition for programs of study, as well as an annual needs assessment of program quality elements.
ACTE supports the goals of the Educating Tomorrow's Workforce Act, and applauds Sens. Kaine and Portman for their continued leadership on CTE issues in Congress. "These senators have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to the CTE community, and we are fortunate to have them as partners on Capitol Hill,” said ACTE Executive Director LeAnn Wilson.
In his speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Kaine discussed the diversity of the CTE system and the wide range of opportunities that CTE provides for students. He also talked about the recent bipartisan support for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and urged the same cooperation in reauthorizing the Perkins Act. “It is essential for the U.S. to invest in creating a world-class system of education across the spectrum to ensure we have the technically skilled and well-trained workforce we need,” said Sen. Kaine. “We’ve got to make policy changes to our education programs and match what we did in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act reauthorization to prepare our students for a 21st century workforce. I very much hope that the Senate moves forward on the Carl D. Perkins Act this year and I’m honored to have Senator Portman as the cosponsor of this legislation.”
Sen. Portman highlighted the importance of addressing the skills gap and the need to develop a qualified workforce to support America’s economic competitiveness. “In today’s competitive job market, far too many Americans are finding that they lack the skills they need to get a good paying job,” said Sen. Portman. “This legislation is a step in the right direction toward helping those Americans seeking work to acquire the skills they need to connect with a job.” He also discussed his recent trip to the Live Oaks campus of Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development in Milford, OH, where he hosted a roundtable on CTE with students, employers, educators and community partners.
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