Portman, Kaine, Young, Baldwin Applaud Senate Passage of Resolution Recognizing February as Career and Technical Education Month

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) applauded the Senate for unanimously passing a resolution recognizing February 2021 as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. The resolution was sponsored by the co-chairs of the Senate CTE Caucus, Senators Portman, Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). A broad, bipartisan group of 53 senators co-sponsored the resolution.

"Raising awareness of Career and Technical Education is key if we are going to continue to make progress toward ensuring that more Americans have the skills needed to match our growing workforce needs," said Senator Portman. "As co-chair of the Senate Career and Technical Education Caucus, I believe that we have a duty to make 21st-century skills training more accessible and affordable. I will continue my work at the federal level to make sure that Washington is an effective partner with local communities in providing Americans with the skills training they need to succeed."

"Health care, shipbuilding, cyber security, energy--the fields CTE can prepare a student for are seemingly endless. CTE Month is a time to raise awareness about the opportunities CTE can provide and communicate the importance of investing in it," said Senator Kaine.

"In communities throughout Indiana, career and technical education (CTE) provides Hoosier students with hands-on experience and real world skills to better prepare them for jobs of the 21st century," said Senator Young. "The pandemic has put a strain on the Hoosier workforce, so it is important that we raise awareness for the pivotal role CTE plays to addressing the skills gap and providing upward mobility for all Americans."

"I'm proud to join this bipartisan effort to highlight the importance of career and technical education. The only way we can meet workforce readiness challenges effectively, is if we have strong public-private partnerships that are supported by a Congress working across party lines. We are showing that commitment with this Senate Resolution," said Senator Baldwin. "We know that CTE is one of the most effective vehicles for responding to labor market changes and the workforce readiness needs of business. Now we need to do more to support CTE students so that they are better equipped for the high-skilled jobs of today and tomorrow."

Senator Portman supported the advancement of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which became law in 2018 and included Portman's Educating Tomorrow's Workforce Act as well as provisions related to a number of different bills sponsored and introduced by members of the CTE Caucus, including the SHOP CLASS Act, the SUCCESS Act, and the Perkins Fund for Equity and Excellence.

Last Congress, Senators Portman and Kaine introduced the bipartisan Jumpstart Our Businesses By Supporting Students (JOBS) Act, a bill that would help students access training and close this "skills gap" by expanding Pell Grant eligibility to cover high-quality and rigorous short-term job training programs so workers can afford the skills training and credentials that are in high-demand in today's job market. They plan to reintroduce the legislation this Congress.

Full text of the resolution is available here.