"Mr. Speaker, today has been a long time coming, so I’ll be brief. The legislation we are here to send to the president’s desk is a true difference-maker. Every one of us knows someone God has blessed with skills and talents and ideas that do not fit the mold of traditional postsecondary education. Because of that, they may not believe they have much to offer or much to gain by joining the workforce without the 'right' degree or diploma. But there really isn’t a right degree or diploma.
"By updating and strengthening the career and technical education law, which H.R. 2353 does, we are making significant progress in changing those misguided perceptions and giving workforce development the recognition and credit it deserves.
"We have more than six million unfilled jobs in this country, due in large part to the skills gap. The skills gap is partly the result of an outdated approach to workforce development. H.R. 2353 supports innovative learning opportunities and strong community partnerships, addressing the problem of vacant jobs and workforce development needs where they exist: at the local level.
"I want to recognize the bipartisan effort that has gotten us here today. Congressman Glenn Thompson and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi along with a great staff delivered a great bill for us to work on at the Education and Workforce Committee. Since we marked it up, reported it, and the House passed the bill last year, I have been pleased, and I have been proud, to work with Ranking Member Bobby Scott in urging Senate consideration of this legislation. I thank House leaders for bringing this bill back to the floor as soon as we could after the Senate passed it on Monday night.
"On behalf of every member and staff person of the Education and Workforce Committee, I am grateful this bill is before the House today, am proud of all of their hard work, and urge members to support this legislation."
