Patty Murray: “I am pleased to speak today in favor of Senate bill 1361, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. With this bill, we…”

“I am pleased to speak today in favor of Senate bill 1361, the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. With this bill, we continue to build upon a theme introduced by President Clinton in last year's budget process--investing in our future. By immunizing our children and fully funding important programs such as Head Start, WIC, Goals 2000, and school-to-work, we are investing in our children, and in the America of tomorrow. As we focus on planning, and preparing our children for the future, we are challenged to make adjustments. We cannot afford to operate on old assumptions--assumptions that are no longer relevant today. We must recognize that approximately half of our Nation's young people do not go on to college; 75 percent do not earn a bachelor's degree. Many of these young people do not possess the basic academic and occupational skills necessary for the changing workplace, or for further education. Many cannot find stable, career-track jobs for a good 5 to 10 years after graduating from high school. Whether the family-wage jobs of the future will require a college degree, they no doubt will require professional or technical training. We must prepare our children throughout the Nation for both. The school-to-work bill will help young people link what they are learning in school to the workplace. It will also prepare them for 4-year college. Our schools have a stake in preparing students for tomorrow's work force.”