Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Glenn Thompson for yielding. I am grateful to support the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. Whether I am visiting one of the remarkable schools in South Carolina's technical education system of Aiken, Midlands, Orangeburg-Calhoun, or a local manufacturing facility, the message is the same: the job market is changing rapidly. Quality education is vital to competing, which is why apprenticeship programs are so important in leading to the success of BMW, MTU, AGY, SRS, Michelin, Bridgestone, Boeing, and soon Volvo in South Carolina. While existing technical education, which was established by Fritz Hollings and Floyd Spence, has played a role in creating jobs, existing legislation has not been updated for the last 10 years. This bill serves as a first step to reforming technical education programs by helping all Americans enter the workforce for high-skilled, in-demand jobs. Some reforms include empowering State and local community leaders, limiting Federal mandates, encouraging employment engagement, and increasing accountability. I am grateful to cosponsor the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. I appreciate the leadership of Chairman Glenn Thompson for sponsoring this leadership, and I urge my colleagues to support it.”