Career and Technical Education Caucus

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, as the co-chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus, I am proud to be an advocate for CTE and the work we do to support job training, apprenticeships, and CTE programs.

Skills-based education provides learners of all ages with career- ready skills, giving individuals the tools to succeed and restoring the rungs on the ladder of opportunity.

From agriculture to the arts and from marketing to manufacturing, CTE programs work to develop America's most valuable resource: its people. A highly skilled workforce is important to the success of our American economy.

That is why, together with the CTE Caucus co-chair, Congresswoman Bonamici, I introduced two bills that increase career counseling for students and adult learners.

The Counseling for Career Choice Act would expand K-12 career counseling services and provide more resources focused on financial literacy, registered apprenticeships, dual enrollment programs, internships, and even financing for college or other postsecondary education.

Career counseling gives students the tools that they need to make well-informed decisions about their futures. When we equip school counselors with the resources necessary, we can help close our Nation's skills gap and let students find the pathway to fulfilling careers.

The Counseling for Career Choice Act ensures that middle and high school students are made fully aware of their career and educational options prior to graduation so that they are aware of all the opportunities before them.

CTE has established itself as a path that many high-achieving students choose in pursuit of industry certifications and hands-on skills that they can use right out of high school in skills-based education programs or college.

For adult learners, we introduced the Creating Opportunities to Thrive and Advance Act, or COTA Act for short, to help spread the word about career counseling through public outreach.

COTA amends title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, or WIOA, to bolster career guidance for adults.

For the first time, this bill would allow for public outreach such as public service announcements, social media campaigns, job fairs, and other means to educate the public on workforce development programs.

Mr. Speaker, we must be able to tell the public about the resources available to them. Increasing access to career opportunities is a good investment, and the COTA Act will give individuals the resources they need to take the next step in their careers.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support both bills and to join the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus today.

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