On Friday, the House Committee on Education and Labor held a virtual forum to discuss the impact of COVID-19 and share ideas to address the crisis within our education system. Each member of the Committee had the opportunity to talk about the unique challenges and positive developments happening within their district as they work through the current pandemic.
Most important to our membership, CTE and other related workforce programs remained a critical part of the discussion throughout the forum. In his opening statement, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) stated, “The next package must reinforce our career and technical education […] As states reopen, we must ensure that state and local workforce systems have the resources to address critical shortages in frontline jobs and help workers get back on their feet.” Further, he discussed introducing the Relaunching America’s Workforce Act, which would invest $15 billion in America’s workforce training infrastructure, including career and technical education, in order to help workers quickly re-enter the workforce as the economy emerges from the deep decline due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Other topics Members discussed included maintaining students’ access to an education, social and emotional learning, protecting workers’ safety and health, and providing additional relief for childcare providers, K-12 schools, and institutions of higher learning, among others.
To watch a recording of the event, click here. For a transcript of the Chairman’s opening statement click here, or here for Ranking Member Virginia Foxx’s (R-NC). Furthermore, if you would like additional information related to what the Committee has been doing to combat the pandemic on behalf of students, workers, families, businesses, and communities, click here (majority) and here (minority).
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