III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 515 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Career and Technical Education Month. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 27, 2020 

Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. PORTMAN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BENNET, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. BROWN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. CARPER, Mr. CASEY, Mr. COONS, Mr. CORNYN, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. 

DAINES, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ENZI, Ms. ERNST, Mrs. 

FEINSTEIN, Ms. HARRIS, Ms. HASSAN, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. HOEVEN, Mrs. 

HYDE-SMITH, Mr. JONES, Mr. KING, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mrs. LOEFFLER, 

Mr. MANCHIN, Ms. MCSALLY, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. MURPHY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. PERDUE, Mr. PETERS, Mr. REED, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. ROMNEY, 

Ms. ROSEN, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, 

Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. SMITH, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. THUNE, Mr. TILLIS, 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WARNER, Mr. WICKER, Mr. WYDEN, and Mrs. 

FISCHER) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Career and Technical 

Education Month. 

Whereas a competitive global economy requires workers who 

are prepared for skilled professions; 

Whereas, in the next several years, an estimated 3,000,000 

new workers will be needed in infrastructure positions in 

the United States, including in positions for designing, 


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building, and operating transportation, housing, utilities, 

and telecommunications facilities; 

Whereas career and technical education (referred to in this 

preamble as ‘‘CTE’’) ensures that competitive and skilled 

workers are ready, willing, and capable of holding jobs in 

high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand career fields such as 

science, technology, engineering, mathematics, nursing, 

allied health, construction, information technology, energy 

sustainability, and many other career fields that are vital 

in keeping the United States competitive in the global 

economy; 

Whereas CTE helps the United States meet the very real and 

immediate challenges of economic development, student 

achievement, and global competitiveness; 

Whereas the United States has 30,000,000 jobs with an average income of $55,000 per year that do not require a 

bachelor’s degree yet increasingly require some level of 

postsecondary education; 

Whereas over 11,800,000 students are enrolled in CTE 

across the country at secondary and postsecondary institutions, with CTE programs in thousands of CTE centers, comprehensive high schools, career academies, and 

CTE high schools, and nearly 1,000 2-year colleges; 

Whereas CTE matches employability skills with workforce demand and provides relevant academic and technical 

coursework leading to industry-recognized credentials for 

secondary, postsecondary, and adult learners; 

Whereas CTE affords students the opportunity to gain the 

knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to secure careers in growing, high-demand fields; 


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Whereas secondary CTE is associated with a lower probability of dropping out of high school and a higher likelihood of graduating on-time; 

Whereas CTE students were significantly more likely than 

non-CTE students to report having developed problemsolving, project completion, research, math, college application, work-related, communication, time management, 

and critical thinking skills during high school; 

Whereas, according to an American Federation of Teachers 

poll, 94 percent of parents approve of expanding access 

to CTE and other programs that prepare students for 

jobs; 

Whereas students at schools with highly integrated rigorous 

academic and CTE programs are significantly more likely 

to meet college and career readiness benchmarks than 

students at schools with less integrated programs; 

Whereas, in 2018, Congress affirmed the importance of CTE 

by passing the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Public Law 115–224), 

which supports program improvement in secondary and 

postsecondary CTE programs in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin 

Islands, and outlying areas; 

Whereas 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of State CTE 

leadership by Advance CTE (formerly known as the ‘‘National Association of State Directors of Career Technical 

Education Consortium’’ or ‘‘NASDCTEc’’); and 

Whereas February 23, 2020, marks the 103d anniversary of 

the signing of the Act of February 23, 1917 (commonly 

known as the ‘‘Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act 

of 1917’’) (39 Stat. 929, chapter 114), which was the 


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first major Federal investment in secondary CTE and 

laid the foundation for the bipartisan, bicameral support 

for CTE that continues as of February 2020: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates February 2020 as ‘‘Career and 

3 Technical Education Month’’ to celebrate career and 

4 technical education across the United States; 

5 (2) supports the goals and ideals of Career and 

6 Technical Education Month; 

7 (3) recognizes the importance of career and 

8 technical education in preparing a well-educated and 

9 skilled workforce in the United States; and 

10 (4) encourages educators, guidance and career 

11 development professionals, administrators, and par12 ents to promote career and technical education as a 

13 respected option for students. 

Æ 


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