On Tuesday, July 14, Congresswomen Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) hosted the inaugural event for their newly launched bipartisan Congressional Investment in America’s Skilled Workforce Caucus. The event was a symposium-style discussion attended by congressional staff and interested members of the public, and offered a unique opportunity for leaders from the education, business and labor policy communities to come together for a dialogue on strategies to close the skills gap.
I represented ACTE on the diverse stage of experts, and spoke on the need for greater public awareness and federal investment in CTE programs. In addition, I emphasized the unique position that CTE programs have to open doors for all students, whether they pursue a two- or four-year degree, an industry-recognized credential, or other postsecondary education that prepares them for their career – and the critical role that our partners from the business community have in the CTE enterprise.
In addition to the participating organizations, a number of Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle joined the event to provide remarks on their support of the new caucus and its goal of preparing a skilled workforce for the careers of the 21st century. ACTE will continue to work with this and other caucuses in both chambers of Congress to build awareness of and support for CTE on Capitol Hill!
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