Representatives Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Glenn Thompson (R-PA), the co-chairs of the House CTE Caucus, are circulating a "Dear Colleague" letter, asking fellow Representatives to sign on to a letter urging congressional leaders to include workforce development and CTE in any infrastructure package. Some sort of infrastructure deal is one of the few areas that pundits predict could enjoy wide bipartisan support in the 116th Congress.
The letter highlights the critical role that a skilled workforce plays in the infrastructure sector. Infrastructure—which can include roads, bridges, cyber, water, energy and more—includes a diverse set of occupations, including workers needed to design, build, maintain and operate the given infrastructure. However, as U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao recently testified, "we will probably not have enough skilled trades workers to address all the infrastructure needs." That's why it's so important to ensure workforce development is included in any infrastructure package.
The letter is addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Sam Graves (R-MO), respectively.
Please click here to ask your Representative to sign on to the letter. The deadline for sign-ons is COB on Friday, April 5. You can view the letter here.
My experiences in the military inform my understanding of the critical infrastructure-CTE connection. Until there is a crisis, neither CTE nor the military receives appropriate emphasis. Then enlightened leaders come onboard to champion solutions to the crises. Prudent funding and support might have averted a crisis at much lower cost. Maintenance is always preferable to repair, whether the costs are paid in dollars or blood.
Posted by: Wade K. Talley, EdD | 04/03/2019 at 04:56 PM