Tim Kaine: “our Nation's continued progress and the socioeconomic mobility of our citizens are contingent on the education and…”

“our Nation's continued progress and the socioeconomic mobility of our citizens are contingent on the education and skills of the American workforce and its ability to adjust to and fulfill the needs of the 21st-century economy. Career and technical education, CTE, programs are essential to every student's education, providing them access to the important knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to obtain careers in rapidly growing, high-demand industries. Today, approximately 11.8 million students across the Nation are enrolled in CTE programs offered by thousands of career academies, comprehensive high schools, CTE high schools, community colleges, and CTE centers. Through applied learning, these students obtain workplace skills and technical training that mirror in-demand positions in the workforce. In the next decade, nearly 3 million skilled workers will be needed to fill infrastructure positions in the United States, including jobs related to designing, building, and operating transportation, housing, telecommunication, and utilities facilities. CTE programs intentionally match skills with workforce demands, lowering the probability of high school dropout and increasing the likelihood of graduating on time. These skills-based training programs will help fill the estimated 30 million U.S. jobs available with an average income annual income of $55,000 that do not require a bachelor's degree yet necessitate some level of postsecondary education.…”