James M. Jeffords: “The School-to-Work Opportunities Act has strong bipartisan support. It will encourage States and communities to build…”

“The School-to-Work Opportunities Act has strong bipartisan support. It will encourage States and communities to build meaningful connections between the worlds of school and work. Just as schools need to change to meet the demands of businesses that are competing in a global economy, our business culture also needs to change to create incentives for students to stay in school and make smooth and productive transitions from school to work. The future of our youth and of our businesses, and ultimately our standard of living, depends on developing and utilizing the talents of our noncollege-bound young people far more effectively than we have. Twenty-three national groups have endorsed this legislation, including major business groups--the Business Roundtable, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Alliance of Business--the AFL-CIO, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and the National Governors' Association. In addition, the business community not only actively supports the legislation, many national firms are committing to participate in its programs, including BellSouth, Ford, Kodak and McDonald's. Countless smaller business also are prepared to join in on this effort. Mr. President, like many of the legislative items that pass through this body, this one is not perfect.”