Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, as the labor market of the 21st century continues to transform, it will be critical to ensure that American workers are equipped with the skills and expertise needed to meet the variety of demands in the global marketplace It is critical that we continue to reform and update our education system to ensure that America's students are prepared for cutting-edge careers. Today, many students enter high school and postsecondary education with little knowledge of the careers available to them outside of traditional pathways. Research has found that few middle school students have a lack of understanding of how what they are learning in school relates to careers. With college costs continuing to rise, it is critical that students have exposure to the wide range of available work and career choices early in their academic careers so that, by the time they enter high school, they are more informed about future paths and what they need to do to pursue them.

Career and technical education, CTE, programs play a pivotal role in preparing students for America's job market, and are proven to help students explore their own strengths and preferences, and match up with potential future careers. However, a lack of Federal investment in middle school CTE programming often means students have to wait until high school for this exposure.

Middle school is a critical time when students explore their own strengths, likes, and dislikes, and begin to form long-term career goals. Studies have found that middle school students who participate in career and technical education development programs that promote career exploration skills are able to make more informed career decisions by increasing knowledge of career options and career pathways that match their interests. Additionally, these programs play a positive role in engaging students in the classroom and on their academic success.

I am proud to introduce the Middle School Technical Education Program Act, which establishes a pilot program for middle schools to partner with postsecondary institutions and local businesses to develop and implement career and technical exploration programs. This legislation will provide support for middle schools to create career and technical education programs that will provide students with introductory courses, hands-on learning, or afterschool programs. Career guidance and academic counseling is vital to ensuring that our students understand the educational requirements for high-growth, in-demand career fields. Many times students receive this information too late in their academic careers.

We need to work to improve middle school education to prepare students for cutting-edge careers and expose students to the variety of career pathways. This legislation also requires that programs helps students draft a high school graduation plan that demonstrates what courses would prepare them for a given career field. If we provide youth with applied career exploration opportunities, they will be more informed about future paths and what they need to do to pursue them. I am hopeful this bill will help highlight current shortcomings in middle schools, and instigate further discussion on the importance of educating youth early on the multitude of educational and career pathways.

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