,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #gi ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #bf1 #bjai,mr4 ,kaine 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,portman1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,young1 ,mr4 ,barrasso1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 ,mr4 ,braun1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 ,mrs4 ,capito1 ,mr4 ,carper1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,cornyn1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 ,mr4 ,daines1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,enzi1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,ms4 ,harris1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,hoeven1 ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith1 ,mr4 ,inhofe1 ,mr4 ,isakson1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,manchin1 ,mr4 ,murphy1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,mr4 ,perdue1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,mr4 ,roberts1 ,ms4 ,rosen1 ,mr4 ,rounds1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mr4 ,thune1 ,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,mr4 ,wicker1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 and ,ms4 ,ernst7 submitted the following resolution2 which was considered and agreed to ,,resolution ,supporting the goals and ideals of ,career and ,technical ,education ,month4 ,whereas a competitive global economy requires workers who are prepared for skilled professions2 ,whereas1 in the next decade1 an estimated #c1jjj1jjj new workers will be needed in infrastructure positions in the ,united ,states1 including in positions for designing1 building1 and operating transportation1 housing1 utilities1 and telecommunications facilities2 ,whereas career and technical education 7referred to in this preamble as ,,cte7 ensures that competitive and skilled workers are ready1 willing1 and capable of holding jobs in high-wage1 high-skill1 and in-demand career fields such as science1 technology1 engineering1 mathematics1 nursing1 allied health1 construction1 information technology1 energy sustainability1 and many other career fields that are vital in keeping the ,united ,states competitive in the global economy2 ,whereas ,,cte helps the ,united ,states meet the very real and immediate challenges of economic development1 student achievement1 and global competitiveness2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has #cj1jjj1jjj jobs with an average income of #ee1jjj per year that do not require a bachelor's degree yet increasingly require some level of postsecondary education2 ,whereas nearly #ab1bjj1jjj students are enrolled in ,,cte across the country at the secondary and postsecondary levels1 with ,,cte programs in thousands of ,,cte centers1 comprehensive high schools1 career academies1 and ,,cte high schools1 and nearly #a1jjj #b-year colleges2 ,whereas ,,cte matches employability skills with workforce demand and provides relevant academic and technical coursework leading to industry-recognized credentials for secondary1 postsecondary1 and adult learners2 ,whereas ,,cte affords students the opportunity to gain the knowledge1 skills1 and credentials needed to secure careers in growing1 high-demand fields2 ,whereas secondary ,,cte is associated with a lower probability of dropping out of high school and a higher likelihood of graduating on-time2 ,whereas ,,cte students were significantly more likely than non-,,cte students to report having developed problem-solving1 project completion1 research1 math1 college application1 work-related1 communication1 time management1 and critical thinking skills during high school2 ,whereas1 according to an ,american ,federation of ,teachers poll1 #id percent of parents approve of expanding access to ,,cte and other programs that prepare students for jobs2 ,whereas students at schools with highly integrated rigorous academic and ,,cte programs are significantly more likely to meet college and career readiness benchmarks than students at schools with less integrated programs2 ,whereas1 last year1 ,congress affirmed the importance of ,,cte by passing the ,strengthening ,career and ,technical ,education for the #bast ,century ,act 7,public ,law #aae-bbd71 which supports program improvement in secondary and postsecondary ,,cte programs in all #ej ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 ,puerto ,rico1 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 and outlying areas2 and ,whereas ,february #bc1 #bjai1 marks the #ajb;d anniversary of the signing of the ,act of ,february #bc1 #aiag 7commonly known as the ,smith-,hughes ,vocational ,education ,act of #aiag7 7#ci ,stat4 #ibi1 chapter #aad71 which was the first major ,federal investment in secondary ,,cte and laid the foundation for the bipartisan1 bicameral support for ,,cte that continues as of ,february #bjai3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 designates ,february #bjai as ,career and ,technical ,education ,month to celebrate career and technical education across the ,united ,states2 7#b7 supports the goals and ideals of ,career and ,technical ,education ,month2 7#c7 recognizes the importance of career and technical education in preparing a well-educated and skilled workforce in the ,united ,states2 and 7#d7 encourages educators1 guidance and career development professionals1 administrators1 and parents to promote career and technical education as a respected option for students4