On the recordApril 24, 2018
Maintaining a talented workforce is essential to cultivating a strong economy and positioning our Nation for success in today's increasingly competitive global marketplace. Opportunities for education, professional development, and the acquisition of skills immediately translatable in the workplace will help to ensure that our students and workers are equipped with the skills required to succeed in the 21st century. Career and technical education (CTE) programs play a vital role in increasing student engagement, continuing our nation's economic competitiveness, and building the skills of our country's workforce. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of student interest in career and technical education, but shortages in high-quality CTE teachers have made it difficult for school districts to meet this demand. While the Higher Education and Opportunity Act of 2008 provides grants for teacher residency partnership programs to colleges and universities who work with high-needs school districts to train prospective teachers, no CTE-focused partnerships exist. That is why I am introducing with my colleagues, Senator Baldwin, Senator Portman and Senator Capito the Creating Quality Technical Educators Act, which would amend the Higher Education and Opportunity Act to create a CTE teacher-training grant partnership to equip aspiring CTE teachers with real-world experience and credible skills to apply in the classroom.…
