Student Success Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I my consume.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Scott for their work in bringing this bill to the floor. While I still have strong concerns about the underlying bill, I am pleased to offer this bipartisan amendment along with my good friend and colleague, Mr. G.T. Thompson of Pennsylvania.

As cochairs of the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, Mr. Thompson and I are committed to expanding skills training that will provide students of all ages with the capabilities necessary to meet the demands of the modern economy. Our amendment simply provides flexibility for States to use title I funds for apprenticeships and comprehensive career counseling.

Now, this is becoming a common refrain I know, but the skills gap is a persistent and wholly fixable drag on our economy, and we simply need to address it. In conversations with businessowners across my home State in Rhode Island, I have constantly heard that they are struggling to find qualified candidates to fill the job openings that they have available right now. In a State such as mine that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country still, this is a troubling situation that we need to fix.

Apprenticeships are a tested and proven way for students to gain real-world experience while earning credit toward high school graduation. Students are able to get on-the-job training and skills needed for future career success. Adding apprenticeships to title I will provide a much-needed boost to career training programs.

Additionally, this amendment will make it easier for school districts to invest in comprehensive career counseling, a vital part of skills training.

It is becoming clear that high school diplomas are no longer sufficient for the modern job market. Our amendment seeks to help school counselors connect high school students with the skills that they need to succeed in the 21st-century workforce.

Now, Mr. Speaker, while not every job will require a college degree, some sort of postsecondary education will be absolutely necessary, and, in fact, is absolutely necessary. Whether it comes from a community college, a skills training program, or on-the-job training, we need to change what it means to be college- and career-ready. We need to provide students with the knowledge and the experience that will truly prepare them for what is next.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I urge all of my colleagues to join us in supporting this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source