Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5509, the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act. I would like to thank Majority Leader McCarthy for introducing this bill. {time} 2130 Building a workforce with skills in the STEM fields--science, technology, engineering, and math--which can meet the demands of our continually evolving economy is one of the most pressing challenges that we face today. Many companies are having difficulty recruiting and retaining workers with sufficient STEM skills for their needs. This STEM skills gap has existed for years and is continuing to widen. With companies across all economic sectors increasing their reliance on data, automation, and technology-driven business models, the need for STEM workers has never been greater. Employers are increasingly concerned that their inability to hire employees with the technical skills they need will affect their capacity to innovate, increase production, and expand internationally. Make no mistake: America's future economic prosperity is on the line. High schools, community colleges, and universities have been slow to respond, struggling to adapt their curriculum to keep pace with the rapidly evolving needs of industry. There is a need to innovate and encourage partnerships between educators in the private sector to better prepare the next generation of skilled technical workers.…”