Dan Coats: “School to work is a principle which endeavors to address this issue in a way which requires collaboration…”

“School to work is a principle which endeavors to address this issue in a way which requires collaboration, public/private partnerships, and mentorship--all very important concepts that are crucial for an effective program. I voted against the Senate version of the school-to-work proposal earlier this year for several reasons--one of which was the mandated paid work requirement. I am pleased that the conference committee has deleted that requirement and in its place, retained an amendment offered by Senator Thurmond which gives a priority to States which include a paid work component in their State plans. This was an important change in the legislation and I congratulate Senator Thurmond for its inclusion. I supported the Thurmond amendment because I was concerned that a paid training requirement would significantly limit the opportunities for valuable work experiences--which would have been particularly true for small businesses. However, even with this important change in the legislation, I must still oppose H.R. 2884.”