Career and Technical Education Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 930, and especially in support of Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In my district, Mr. Speaker, there is a huge need for high-skilled workers, and Indiana Tech plays a critical role in helping our region meet this demand. Each year Indiana Tech provides thousands of students opportunities to ``skill up,'' so that they can better contribute to local employers and better provide for their families.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the top 20 fastest-growing occupations in our country are supplied by career and technical education. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that nearly three-quarters of employers struggle to hire qualified workers. Clearly the need for career and technical education is severe, and we in Congress must do what we can to encourage its growth.

In northeast Indiana--as in the rest of the country--a high quality education is critical to obtaining a good, well-paying job. While northeast Indiana is still a manufacturing center of the country, these jobs are becoming increasingly more high-tech and require higher levels of skills and training. Schools like Indiana Tech are helping prepare students for these changes.

Mr. Speaker, as competition in our global economy continues to grow more fierce, career and technical education is essential to preparing a well-educated, skilled workforce. I ask that my colleagues join with me in expressing support for Indiana Tech and schools like it. They are critical to the future of northeast Indiana, and they are critical to the future of our country.

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