Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution

Floor Speech

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Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, amid high unemployment rates across the Country exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses continue to face challenges in hiring the skilled workers they need to grow and thrive. Simultaneously, individuals looking for work may not have the skills and support that they need to enter or renter--and remain--in the workforce. Unfortunately the pandemic has slowed the number of students attending some form of postsecondary education, but even prior to the pandemic the supply of middle-skilled workers, whose work requires more than a high school diploma but not a four-year degree, fell short of industry demand. It's important that States make strategic investments now to set students up for success in the constantly-evolving labor market, and the best training for high-wage, high-skill, or in-demand jobs is often offered by community colleges.

For many people seeking a job, attending a community college is the most affordable and accessible pathway to higher paying employment opportunities. In Virginia, we have 23 community colleges that serve an estimated 400,000 people across the state, providing them opportunities to earn an associate's degree, certifications or licensures in some of the most cutting-edge and in-demand fields in our workforce. The impact of community colleges nationwide is even greater, and our rapidly changing economy demands increased investment in the pathways these institutions provide to keep up with changing skill demands. The rapidly changing U.S. economy demands agile education and workforce development systems that can keep up with changing skill demands.

Today, I am proud to reintroduce the Assisting Community Colleges in Educating Skilled Students (ACCESS) to Careers Act with Senator Young. This bill builds on lessons learned from the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program (TAACCCT), and provides grants to community colleges to partner with private and public sector entities to create innovative career pathways directly between two-year institutions and employers. The ACCESS to Careers Act also provides grants to states and community colleges to scale evidence-based strategies that will help prepare our students with the skills necessary to succeed in our in-demand industry sectors and occupations. These grants can be used to expand dual enrollment, work-based learning opportunities, apprenticeships, and other pathways to best meet the skill needs of students and employers in our evolving workforce. The bill also emphasizes the importance of student services to ensure that students have the support they need to complete their programs.

As our Country begins to recover from the widespread job losses we've seen over the last year, the success of our economy will depend on our ability to provide people with the resources they need to quickly enter or reenter the workforce. This legislation makes strategic investments in students to ensure they have access to programs that properly prepare them for good-paying, in-demand jobs as we continue to build back better. The ACCESS to Careers Act represents a necessary step to take the evidence-based innovations we've seen on the local level to scale in order to fill jobs in high-needs industries. I strongly encourage my colleagues in the Senate to consider this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. ______

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Portman, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Young, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Kaine):

S. 1860. A bill to amend the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act to provide for additional procedures for families with children under the age of 6, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

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