Jobs and Vocational Training

Floor Speech

Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the issue of joblessness in America.

A simple way to enhance opportunities for all Americans is continued investments in career technical education or vocational schools. Not every child's career path takes them through a 4-year college. It is necessary to provide opportunities for them to learn skills to apply for a job either right after graduation or through further certification.

Career technical education teaches general employment skills and teaches skills required in specific occupations or careers. It can provide young people with confidence to focus on a career path.

Many occupations taught at vocational schools are in high demand, such as nursing, business administration, culinary arts, automotive maintenance, software programming, and engineering technology.

Our labor market is evolving and placing greater emphasis on high-tech skills. To ensure vocational training keeps pace with these changes, we should encourage private industries to partner with vocational schools to identify emerging job markets and have students trained to fill these jobs.

By investing in career technical education we can ensure that more Americans have secure career opportunities after graduation.

Source